The Games They Play
by Disgruntled Minion
Summary: <html><head></head>The job wasn't worth the pay; playing baby-sitter to a spoiled child is enough to drive any sane man up the wall. While no one ever said the job would be easy; 10 dollars an hour so wasn't worth the trouble to put up with a spoiled brat</html>
1. The Games

_Gift fic for Akiruchan; who, according to her, I need to write something Kuroshitsuji. Apparently collabs don't count, it has to be on my own XD So this is my gift for her; a collection of one shots following the adventures of Ciel and Sebastian. Can be read as one big story or just a bunch of one shots; up to you. _

_ **There is no shota in this at all. **_

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kuroshitsuji or any characters  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Fluff, lots of fluff. And that's about it; there will be no smut, hence the K+ rating. Don't ask for it

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><p>The Games They Play<br>for Akiruchan

Sunlight bounced off the pool's surface, creating a bright glare for anyone foolish enough to cast their gaze into the light. Small toys bobbed helplessly in the water amidst the large inflatable rafts that people so often liked to recline on.

Said rafts were currently vacant and the pool looked equally bare as well. But that's where Sebastian knew the difference was. There was a young boy hiding in that pool, laying in wait with a water gun and waiting for the perfect chance to strike.

"This is so not worth twelve dollars an hour," he muttered to himself. His grip tightened around his own water gun as he poked his head around the floating beach ball. And was promptly sprayed in the face with water. "Definitely not worth it."

Sebastian wasn't even sure why he had agreed to this job. Everyone before him had told him that the job was like living in Hell itself, with the young boy as the devil in disguise. Sebastian promptly waved the comment aside, thinking that they were all just crazy.

But then he had met his charge. One young boy, age five named Ciel. Son to a successful game designer, and somewhat of a spoiled child. Truly the devil in disguise and twelve dollars an hour to play baby-sitter wasn't close to being enough.

Who cared that Sebastian was getting all the latest games before they hit the market (free for that matter) and was offered a room to stay at the mansion during the summer so he wouldn't have to travel.

Free food, free rent, access to expensive cars, and free trips to all the theme parks in the area; perfect way to spend the summer.

And two weeks ago Sebastian had been ready to turn it all down.

That day had started just like any other. Waking up to find Ciel already out of bed and running around the mansion with hands covered in syrup, trying to ruin the dogs fur with his messy hands. The day had progressed, with Sebastian cleaning up Ciel's mess and giving the dog a bath. The poor thing had been caught in a corner by Ciel and was covered with maple syrup.

By lunchtime, the mansion had quieted down as Ciel napped in his room. Apparently, waking up at six in the morning to terrorize the dog had taken a lot out on the little boy and he demanded a nap.

It was fine by Sebastian. It gave him time to finish cleaning off the syrup on Ciel's toys and wash the laundry. Even the three servants in the house who helped year around seemed exhausted and appreciated the silence.

By the time everything was cleaned and back in order, it was a little after one and Sebastian went upstairs to check on Ciel. The little boy had been asleep for almost an hour and he didn't want the boy to have too much energy tonight that he wouldn't sleep.

But instead of finding Ciel in his room, Sebastian was greeted with an empty bed and even emptier room. Cursing silently to himself, Sebastian had started searching for the boy and felt dread creeping into his body when he found his door cracked open.

With a deep breath, Sebastian walked into his temporary room, only to find his latest art project being destroyed. The canvas that he had spent so long drawing on was now covered in red, blue, and green paint and was being used as a canvas for finger painting.

He had nearly killed Ciel, wanting nothing more than to wrap his fingers around Ciel's neck and strangle the life out of him. Instead, he had grabbed a pillow and gripped it so tightly that part of the fabric had torn.

The thing that had done it for Sebastian was when little Ciel had turned around with an innocent look on his face and smiled. As though he hadn't done anything wrong even though there was malicious intent in those blue eyes.

"Was I not supposed to do that?" he asked. With a small shrug, he skipped out of the room, pausing to wipe his paint covered hands on Sebastian's shorts. "It was an ugly picture anyway."

The comment had the pillow flying across the room, hitting Ciel on the back of the head; the force making the small child stumble forward slightly. Without pause, Sebastian had slammed the door shut and started to pack up his belongings.

The pay and compensation wasn't worth this and Sebastian had had enough. This job wasn't worth going to jail for murder and Sebastian knew that if he stayed here one more day, he would end up strangling Ciel.

With one bag packed, he wrenched open his door and stalked down the long hallway. He could feel those blue eyes watching him, their weight heavy on his back as he stomped down the steps.

"What are you doing?" Ciel asked, his voice small from its spot at the top of the steps. His face poked through the railings while his small hands gripped them tightly.

"Going home," Sebastian answered, dropping his bag to the floor. He spun around to face Ciel, glaring up at him. "This isn't worth it. I can't do it anymore."

"Daddy won't let you go. I'll tell him you hit me and he'll sue you." A small smirk curled on Ciel's lips. "And then we'll own you, forever and ever."

Sebastian met the smirk with his own. "I'd take life in jail over working here again. You're a little terror." He turned around and started to walk towards the door. He'd come back later tonight when Vincent was home and pick up the rest of his belongings then.

With determination set in stone and the desire never again to return, Sebastian kept his back facing Ciel, picked up his bag and crossed the foyer toward the front door. There was nothing that could stop him, he wasn't going back, even for fifty dollars an hour and a bonus at the end of the month.

Or so he thought.

The only thing that had stopped him were sad blue eyes and a sob as he walked to the front door.

"I'm sorwy!" Ciel blurted out from the top of the steps. "Pwease don't go. Daddy will get someone else and they'll all be horrible, like all the others."

Turned out that lasting a month was something of a record when it came to watching Ciel; most couldn't last a day.

Growing up rich and in a family that circled around games, Ciel had a bad habit of playing games with his sitters. Games that could drive a man insane and test their patience, even at the young age of five.

So Sebastian had decided to stay, giving Ciel one last chance. He had a sneaky suspicion that he had been conned by those blue eyes but the following week had been better than previous.

And now they were back to the games.

With a grunt, Sebastian pulled himself out of the pool, his swim trunks clinging to his leg and making it harder to run across the hot stones. The pads of his feet burned as he aimed his water gun to the little bobbing head in the water and shot a stream of water towards it.

His shot was successful and Sebastian promptly jumped back in the water to ease the burning feeling on his feet. He shook the water out of his eyes and glanced around the pool for his target. Red eyes settled on the young boy and the water gun tumbled out of his hands, sinking to the bottom of the pool slowly.

With a deep breath, he ducked below the waters surface and kicked his way towards his unsuspecting target. From under the water, he could see feet standing on tip-toes and a water gun held off to the side. Ciel had his back facing towards him and with one more kick forward, Sebastian grabbed the younger male around the waist.

A muffled scream sounded from the surface before it was cut off as the boy was dragged under the water. For a moment, they struggled briefly before Sebastian's feet found the pools bottom and gained leverage once more.

Sebastian's head popped out of the water, followed by another one that started sputtering and yelling at him. "You...you could've killed me. Then what would mommy and daddy say?" the boy screeched as he was carried to the steps.

Sebastian sighed as they finally cleared the steps and continued towards the covered patio. "I assure you that I wouldn't have let you drown and if so, I am CPR certified." He set the boy down and grabbed a towel, dropping it on the boys head. "Besides, you had fun. Didn't you, Ciel."

A huff escaped Ciel's mouth before he crossed his arms across his chest. "You cheated."

"I assure you I did no such thing. I played the game as you said and caught you, which means it's time for you to come in."

Ciel frowned but stood still as Sebastian dried him off, glancing off to the pool with longing eyes. The water was starting to settle down after their rough play in the pool, and the light from the sun was bright on the now calm surface.

"What's for lunch?" he asked.

"Grilled cheese and some slices of apple," Sebastian answered, rubbing a towel over Ciel's head.

Small hands batted him away and grabbed the towel that rested on his head. "I can do it myself," Ciel stated stubbornly.

Sebastian moved away and grabbed his own towel as he watched Ciel try to maneuver the large, fluffy towel. It bunched around his feet and Ciel huffed as he tried to lift it up so he could wrap it around his body.

Watchful eyes glanced at Ciel from the side, but Sebastian didn't move over to help him, choosing instead to let Ciel figure it out for himself. Sebastian wrapped his own towel around his waist and shook the remaining water from his hair.

"Hurry up or you won't get lunch," he commented lightly, leaning against the patio table.

Ciel glared at him but finally wrapped the towel around his torso, the material tucked under his armpits. With his head held high, he marched towards the back door, the towel looking more like a dress as it trailed behind Ciel.

The sight made Sebastian chuckle and he was tempted to step on the trailing part but he refrained as they entered the mansion.

Inside, the smell of lunch floated through the large house and cool air brushed over Sebastian's skin as he shut the door behind them. In front of him, Ciel started to trot towards the kitchen, making Sebastian lurch forward and catch the young boy around his waist.

With a small squeal, Ciel was lifted into the air and tucked under Sebastian's arm. Small legs kicked out behind him as Ciel wiggled around, trying to get free from Sebastian's grip while he yelled at the older man.

"Put me down, now!" he cried. "I'll tell my daddy on you."

It was an empty threat, one that they both knew. Despite all the games and tricks Ciel tried to pull on Sebastian, he didn't want the older man to leave. Sebastian was the best sitter Ciel had and he didn't want another one.

He let out a cry as Sebastian flicked his nose and he rubbed at it, glaring up at Sebastian. "You're mean to me."

Sebastian chuckled. "I am not. I'm merely collecting on our deal. You said that if I caught you before lunch time, then you would listen to me for the rest of the day." He moved into the kitchen, ignoring the surprised look on the cooks face at how he was carrying Ciel. "Therefore, I can treat you however I'd like to."

Ciel pouted. "You cheated."

"You have no proof." He turned to face the cook and gave Ciel a small squeeze. "What do you say to him?"

A long suffering sigh escaped Ciel and he glanced up at the cook. "Thank you for making lunch for me today. I greatly ap- appre-ci-ate it."

Sebastian smirked and moved toward the door that led to the dinning room. "Next time, I want you to say it like you really mean it." He poked Ciel's cheeks. "Maybe smile a little bit too."

Ciel simply glared at him, even though there was the slightest hint of playfulness hidden behind the mask of annoyance. While he would never say it aloud, Ciel was glad that Sebastian was still here.

The older male made each day exciting as they tried to outwit each other. Ciel knew from his past sitters that not everyone like to play games; and even fewer had the patience to put up with it. It was one of the many reasons Ciel adored Sebastian.

Not as though we would tell Sebastian that. That was Ciel's own secret, one that only his stuffed bunny knew and Bitter Rabbit wasn't going to tell anyone. They pinky swore on it.

Ciel was pulled from his thoughts as he was spun around; the room blurring together slightly. He grabbed onto Sebastian before he was set down on the chair and the room righted itself once more.

Sebastian placed the plate in front of Ciel and watched as the blue eyes grew wide. Small hands quickly reached forward to grab the grilled cheese and without hesitation, Ciel tore into the sandwich. All the play in the pool today had made the younger boy hungry and Sebastian simply shook his head.

His own stomach was growling and he sat down to eat his own sandwich. He had to admit that having his meals prepared for him was rather nice. Sebastian would miss it once the summer was over.

In a way, it was a shame that he couldn't stay the whole time; the benefits were wonderful and the pay was good; all things considering. But once the fall started, Ciel would be back in school and would have no need for an all day sitter.

Still; the fall wasn't for a while and they still had the whole summer to go through. And at the moment, Sebastian wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.

"Can we go to the park tomorrow?" Ciel asked and bit into an apple slice. "I wanna go on the swings and go really high."

"Maybe," Sebastian answered and pushed their empty plates to the side.

Ciel pouted. "But I wanna go."

Sebastian flicked Ciel's forehead. "And I say we have to wait. Your mom and dad are supposed to be home today and they might have plans for you." The thought made Sebastian smile slightly; that would mean a day off.

Day's off were rare and were welcomed with open arms.

"Stop smiling like an idiot," Ciel stated.

Sebastian turned to the young boy. "Excuse me?"

A chubby finger poked Ciel's cheek. "You have a goofy smile on your face; like you're love sick." Ciel frowned. "Love is gross."

With a laugh, Sebastian stood up. "Surely you're not referring to Elizabeth? She's such a sweet girl and loves to play with you." He grinned at Ciel. "Perhaps we should invite her over one day so you two can play."

Ciel looked horrified. "No!" he cried quickly and stumbled from the chair to catch up with Sebastian. "She'll want to play dress up and tea party. And, and, girls are icky."

"But your mom is a girl," Sebastian stated. "Is she icky too?"

The question made Ciel stop for a moment and his eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Mommy's aren't girls. They're mommy's," he finally said and trotted after Sebastian. He watched as the dirty dishes were handed off to the cook and Ciel tugged on the towel around Sebastian's waist. "I want something sweet."

Sebastian shook his head. "Why don't you take a nap first and then you can have something sweet."

Ciel stomped his foot and crossed his arms over his chest, a small pout forming on his lips. "I don't wanna take a nap. I'm a big kid now; I'm this many!" A hand was shoved into Sebastian's face, five fingers wiggling to show their emphasis.

"Too bad," Sebastian answered in a sing-song voice. Without another word, he scooped Ciel up into his arms and carried him out into the foyer. "You lost the game, so you have to do what I say."

He climbed the steps, keeping a careful grip on Ciel as the boy squirmed in his arms. With a small huff, Sebastian flipped Ciel upside down and delighted in the screams that came from Ciel's mouth.

After a few seconds of hanging upside down, he righted the boy and set Ciel down on his feet outside his room. Ciel bolted inside without a word and Sebastian trailed in behind him.

The damp towel was already laying on the floor and a pair of wet swim trunks were tossed at Sebastian. They smacked his leg and with a sigh, Sebastian rolled them up in the towel.

A few moments later, Ciel trotted out of the bathroom in fresh clothes. "I'm still not sleepy," he stated, trying hard to cover up a yawn.

Sebastian shook his head and led the child to the large bed. "You'll feel better when you wake up. And I'll even have something sweet for you."

"Promise?" Ciel asked.

"I promise," Sebastian answered and tucked Ciel into bed. He shut the curtains so the room wasn't so bright and watched as the child pulled a stuffed bunny closer to him. The sight made him smile softly and he left the room quietly.

It was times like this that Sebastian could forget how truly evil Ciel was. While they were few and far between, it made the job easier and were the random times that Sebastian actually enjoyed his job of watching over Ciel.

Of course, that time would pass once Ciel was awake and was back to his demanding self. But for now, it was nice to enjoy the time while it would last. At least Ciel's parents would be back tonight and maybe then, Sebastian could get some time off.

Until then, Sebastian had work to do. Towels had to be washed and dried, and dessert had to be made. And above all, he had to plot out their next game. Because even though he had won this round, there was always tomorrow.

And tomorrow would bring about a new set of games. Games that they were all too willing to play.


	2. Blue Footed Boobies

_**There is no shota in this at all.**_

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kuroshitsuji or any characters  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Fluff, lots of fluff. And that's about it; there will be no smut, hence the K+ rating. Don't ask for it

A/N: Ages for this story, since a few people asked:  
>Sebastian - 18<br>Ciel - 5

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><p>"Sebastian!" a loud voice cried, threatening to drag Sebastian away from the dream world that he was happily living in now. It was a world where non-bratty kids lived and was filled with fast cars and explosions.<p>

The cry came again, followed by a harsh tug on his bangs. Pain radiated through his scull and Sebastian's eyes snapped open. They narrowed on Ciel, whose tiny fist was still curled around a chunk of his hair.

"Yes?" he asked calmly.

Big blue eyes stared up at him and Ciel yanked harder on his hair, forcing Sebastian to lean in closer. "The blue footed boobies are after me," Ciel whispered quickly.

"The birds?" Sebastian asked curiously.

"No!" Ciel cried. "They're not birds, they're the things mommy wears. You know, right here." Small hands gestured to Ciel's chest and Sebastian bit his lip to keep from laughing.

Seeing that Ciel wasn't joking and was truly scared for once, Sebastian sighed and eased his hair out of Ciel's grip. "And why didn't you go and tell your parents about this?" he asked. "They came home today."

Ciel's eyebrows furrowed. "I was going to, but there were weird sounds coming from their room." He looked up to Sebastian. "So I came here instead."

Sebastian stared at Ciel briefly before he closed his eyes. "I really could've done without that information."

A small pout formed on Ciel's lips when he realized that Sebastian wasn't taking him seriously. "Let me in," he finally stated.

"Wha?" Sebastian asked and looked at Ciel with confusion. It was way too early for this sort of thing and the only thing Sebastian wanted now was to go back to sleep.

Ciel let out a small huff and he moved closer, his small hands grabbing the blanket that was on Sebastian's bed. "Let me in," he repeated. "Mommy and daddy always let me sleep with them after I've had a nightmare."

Sebastian grabbed onto the comforter and pressed it down on the mattress. There was no way he was going to let Ciel get in his bed. It wasn't in his job description and he didn't want to be labeled as a pedophile if someone found out.

"No," he stated firmly. "The blue footed boobies aren't going to get you. They'll leave you alone if you go back to your room and go to sleep right now."

Ciel's lower lip quivered and tears started to well up in his eyes. "You don't know that!" he said, voice growing in pitch. "They attacked me earlier! Why won't you believe me?"

Sebastian groaned and ran a hand over his face. "Ciel. It was just a dream; they can't hurt you." He gave the child a small push. "Now go back to sleep."

"I'm scared," Ciel whispered and his hands clenched his nightshirt.

Sebastian looked away, not wanting to see the tears streaming down Ciel's face. It was always odd to see the child cry when he always put up such a strong facade. But right now, with tears and snot running down his face, it was easy to remember that Ciel was still a child.

"Fine," Sebastian finally relented and swung his legs out of bed. "I'll take you back to your bed and stay with you until you fall asleep. Okay?"

Ciel nodded hesitantly and sniffed once before lifting his arms up. He made grabby hands at Sebastian, wanting to be closer to the older male.

With a sigh, Sebastian lifted Ciel up and balanced him on his hip. "You are not worth twelve dollars an hour," Sebastian muttered to Ciel as the child buried his wet face into his neck.

A small hiccup escaped Ciel's mouth as they walked down the hallway and to Ciel's room. Kicking his way through the scattered toys on the ground, Sebastian clicked on a small light next to Ciel's bed and sat him on the plush surface.

Ciel scrambled under the covers and pulled the blankets up to his chin. "I don't think I can sleep just yet," he said in a small voice and looked up at Sebastian.

Sebastian took a seat on the bed and looked down at Ciel. His eyes spotted the white bunny and he reached over to grab it. It was set down on Ciel's chest and the child instantly grabbed for it.

The bunny was cuddled to Ciel's body and button black eyes looked at Sebastian as well. The fake stare was so intense that Sebastian cocked his head at them both. "Yes?"

"We can't sleep," Ciel stated. "Can you tell us a story?"

"Excuse me?" Sebastian asked. "I can't...I don't remember any bedtime stories."

Ciel blinked before a large smile spread across his face. "Then make one up silly!" he exclaimed happily. "That's what mommy does for me. And she even makes funny voices for the characters."

Sebastian blinked and just stared at Ciel. For a moment, he debated just leaving Ciel's room and going back to his. He could lock the door and keep Ciel away; hoping that the 'strange noises' coming from the master bedroom were finally quiet.

A small sniffle broke his train of thought and Sebastian sighed softly as his resolve broke. Curse those big blue eyes; they could make a saint rob a bank. One of these days, Sebastian was going to learn how to avoid their pleading stare.

But for now, he was under their spell and Sebastian searched his brain for a story to tell. It had been ages since he had last read a bedtime story for a child and he was fairly certain that he had never made one up before.

Sighing, Sebastian ran a hand over his face and looked down at Ciel, who was waiting with an expectant look on his face. "Once upon a time," he started but was quickly interrupted.

"No!" Ciel exclaimed, waving a hand in the air. "All stories start out that way and they're boring that way. Do something new," he demanded.

An eyebrow twitched. "Fine," he growled and mentally cursed the young child. It was too late in the night for such antics. "Not so long ago, in a land close by, there lived a normal girl."

Ciel frowned. "Girls are icky. Make it a guy," he ordered. "And what land are we talking about? A real land or a make believe one?"

Sebastian's hands curled in the blankets and he counted to ten before letting out a deep sigh. "In a land about thirty minutes from here, lived a young boy." He looked at Ciel, waiting for the child to make another comment, but Ciel was silent and waiting. "He worked with a traveling circus, taking care of the animals."

"What animals?" Ciel asked quickly.

"I was getting there," Sebastian stated. "He worked with the horses." A pause as Ciel's nose wrinkled.

"Tigers." Another frown.

"Lions." Ciel's eyes narrowed.

"Elephants." Blue eyes brightened and Sebastian rolled his eyes.

"He worked with the elephants. Taking care of them and giving them baths." Sebastian paused again, making sure that Ciel was content before continuing again. "Everyday, he'd take them outside so they could roll around in the dirt and hay before bathing them."

Ciel's eyes danced with excitement and he snuggled down into the covers, staring up at Sebastian and asking him to continue.

"But what he really wanted to do, was ride the elephants," Sebastian continued. "But his boss said that he was too small to do such a thing and that it was too dangerous."

The child pouted. "That's being pre-prejuice against small people," Ciel cried, his small hands curling into fists.

"Prejudice," Sebastian corrected and shifted slightly on the bed. He wasn't sure where this story was going but it seemed as though Ciel was enjoying the story, meaning Sebastian had to find somehow find a way to finish it.

Ciel shrugged and waved his hand, gesturing for Sebastian continue. With a sigh, Sebastian nodded and searched his brain, trying to figure out where to go next. "But the boy decided that he wasn't going to give up. And he knew that with time and hard work, he would be able to ride the elephants one day."

"Did he?" Ciel asked.

Sebastian reached out and covered Ciel's mouth with his hand. "No more questions," he stated. "Or I won't finish the story and you'll have to go to sleep."

A pout settled over Ciel's face after Sebastian removed his hand. "Fine. I won't ask anymore questions. But you have to keep going."

"Years passed and the boy slowly grew up, earning more chores and getting less and less time to play." Sebastian paused, waiting for Ciel to protest but nothing came from the child's mouth. "But he never lost his desire to ride the elephants."

"That's good," Ciel muttered to Bitter Rabbit and rolled onto his side to get more comfortable.

Sebastian chuckled slightly and rolled his eyes before continuing again. "One day, the boss of the circus finally called the boy in. Although he was a teenager by now; all tall and sturdy from working all those years."

"The man told him. 'You've been loyal to me all these years and I know that you've wanted to ride them elephants over there. And I think today you're old enough to do just that."

Ciel sat up right quickly, his eyes shinning with excitement. "Did he?" His eyes widened when he realized that he had asked another question and he clapped a hand over his mouth.

Sebastian hummed and leaned back on his hands. "He did. The teen was so excited that he said 'yes' without hesitation. But his boss had a stipulation first."

Ciel cocked his head to the side and then raised his hand. "What's stipulation mean?" he asked carefully, unsure if the question would upset Sebastian. "And what's the boys name?" he added.

"His name is Smile. And stipulation is a type of bargain," Sebastian answered. "And for this bargain, the boss offered Smile a chance to ride the elephants if he could capture the sun for him."

A small pout settled on Ciel's lips and his eyebrows furrowed. "But that's not fair. It's impossible to do that." His hand gestured up to the ceiling. "The sun is all the way up there and it's way too hot. He'd die."

Sebastian smirked. "This is true. But the teen had an ace up his sleeve and he agreed to the terms. You see, he had a wise, old friend that Smile had known since he was a little boy. He swore that his friend wasn't human but in the years that they had known each other, Smile had never been able to prove such a thing."

"I bet he was an imp," Ciel said softly to the stuffed rabbit. "The last baby sitter said that she couldn't stay here anymore because an imp lived here, but we still haven't found it yet."

A snort sounded from Sebastian's throat as he struggled to swallow his laughter. There was no doubt that the last sitter had been talking about Ciel, but Sebastian wasn't going to tell the child that. Let Ciel think that there was an imp living in the mansion. It'd keep him occupied almost the whole day.

"Smile went to his friend; Black, and asked the man for help, knowing that Black would be able to help him." Sebastian paused to wet his lips and chance to see if Ciel was getting tired. But blue eyes looked up at him with excitement and not a hint of sleepiness in them. "After explaining the situation and task that he needed to do, Black hummed thoughtfully and finally agreed to help him. For a small price."

"His soul," Ciel whispered to Bitter Rabbit and his eyes were wide once more.

"Black asked Smile to get something from the bosses office. Specifically, a glass ball that had rolling white fog in it." Sebastian wiggled his fingers for affect and then quickly dropped his hands once he realized what he had been doing. "Smile knew exactly what Black was talking about and agreed to get the item in question. After all, it seemed important to Black and his friend always knew what to do."

Ciel clutched at the rabbit tighter and wiggled further into the blankets. A small yawn escaped his mouth but did little to quell the excitement in his eyes.

"So two days later, during a large show, Smile snuck into the boss's tent to look for the object. It didn't take long to locate the glass ball, but it was up on a high shelf and sitting in a glass case." Sebastian continued. "He still had time until the show was over, so Smile decided to retrieve the ball that night instead of waiting. After all, it was never in the same place twice."

"Keeping an ear out for any signs of someone returning, Smile dragged a chair over to the bookshelf and proceeded to get the glass ball. The item glowed at him as the case it was in was brought down from the shelf and Smile watched in fascination as the white fog turned dark."

Ciel gasped slightly and he bolted up right. Without a word, he jumped out of the bed and ran over to the windows. Small hands tugged at the curtains, closing the night out and leaving only the light from the lamp to illuminate the room. "Just in case," Ciel stated seriously and climbed into bed again.

Shaking his head, Sebastian sighed and continued. "The fog rolled around in the ball and grew cold as Smile removed it from the case it was in. It was tucked away in a small bag and a ball similar to it was placed in its spot. Once done, Smile quickly left the office before he was caught."

"That night, Smile brought the glass ball to his friend and under the full moon, Black exchanged the glass ball for the object Smile needed to capture the sun. 'Use this tomorrow at noon to capture the sun, and you'll be able to ride the elephants,' Black said."

"But what was the glass ball for?" Ciel breathed.

Sebastian smiled softly. "I'm getting there, you impatient child," he said and tapped Ciel's nose. "Smile watched as Black held the ball in between his hands and squeezed it tightly until the glass cracked."

"The fog started to spill out of the glass and swirled all around his friend. Smile could only watch as Black started to change; wings appeared from his back and his teeth grew into fangs. Bit by bit, the man that was once his friend had turned into something he had only heard from myths."

Ciel gasped and pulled Bitter Rabbit to his chest tightly. "Then what?" he asked, inching closer to Sebastian.

"Black laughed. A cruel laugh that sent chills down Smile's back and suddenly Smile realized that perhaps giving Black the ball wasn't such a good idea. You see, the glass ball had held Black's powers and was the only thing keeping Black from destroying the city," Sebastian stated. "With a huge gust of air, Black took to the night sky and vanished in a streak of light, similar to a shooting star."

"Finally free for the first time in three decades, Black used his new found power to create a fire that burned for months and months, destroying everything in his path. He continued to wreak havoc until his hunger was sated and he could finally relax." Sebastian sighed. "The end."

Ciel blinked before jumping up. "What?" he cried. "That's the ending?"

Sebastian nodded and smirked. "It is. It's one of those stories that teaches you a lesson. Never trust someone that you know isn't human."

A scowl settled on Ciel's lips. "Stories are supposed to end with 'and they lived happily ever after'." He pointed a finger in Sebastian's face. "Make it end that way."

"You never said that the story had to end with a happy ever after," Sebastian stated.

"Well I am now," Ciel said and stomped his foot, although the action lost its affect on a bed's surface. "I want a happy ever after story. So fix it."

Sebastian scowled and glanced up at Ciel. "Black used the ball to get his powers back and thanked Smile by giving him a bag full of gold; enough money to buy his own elephants before returning home to his family." Sebastian glanced at Ciel to make sure that the ending was going properly before continuing.

"The next day at noon, Smile took the mirror to his boss and used it to catch the sun's reflection. For a moment, his boss simply laughed and denied Smile his chance to ride the elephants, saying he had cheated. But then the skies darkened and the wind picked up, making everything grow cold around them."

Ciel nodded and took a seat on top of the covers, setting Bitter Rabbit in his lap. He straightened the bunny's ears before glancing at Sebastian. "Go on," he said and waved his hand slightly.

Sebastian glared at the young boy but continued. "The mirror flashed as the wind blew harshly and Smile's boss could only stare at the sky as it continued to darken before he looked back at Smile. 'Truly you have captured the sun,' the boss said and handed the mirror back to Smile. 'You may ride the elephants, as promised.'"

"After that, the wind quieted down and the sun came back out, shining brightly across the circus. Smile smiled as he covered the mirror back up, knowing that Black had indeed been behind the weather and he silently thanked his friend." Sebastian sighed. "After that, Smile was able to ride an elephant for the first time. And when he turned the proper age, Smile left the circus to start his own farm for abandoned elephants."

Ciel looked at him expectantly. "And?" he prompted.

Sebastian gave a long suffering sigh. "And they all lived happily ever after."

A big smile spread across Ciel's face and he hugged the bunny to his chest. "Just the way stories are supposed to end," he stated.

"Will you go to sleep now?" Sebastian asked as he stood up. He pulled back the covers and watched as Ciel climbed under the blankets again.

"No. You're horrible at telling stories," Ciel declared as he let Sebastian tuck him in. "I need a good bedtime story before I can go to sleep."

Sebastian ran a hand over his face. "I think you're lying. You seemed to be very interested in my story."

Ciel shook his head. "Nope. I didn't like your story at all." It wasn't a complete lie though. Ciel had enjoyed the story until the ending, but after Sebastian tweaked the ending, it wasn't too bad. And he had to admit that he liked how the older man had ended the story originally. It was different and now Ciel had another secret to tell Bitter Rabbit.

"Well, if you're not going to go to sleep by yourself, then I think we should go see if the strange noises in your parents room have stopped so you can go sleep with them," Sebastian said happily. "I think your parents would love to tell you a story."

Ciel pouted. "No. I'm comfy in bed right now."

"But you're no longer scared?" Sebastian prompted.

"Nope," Ciel said happily.

Sebastian smiled and stood up. "Well, then that means that I don't need to stay here anymore," he said.

Ciel's hand shot out. "Wait, please." He pulled Sebastian back until he was pressed up against the edge of the bed. "Can you stay until I fall asleep?" he asked.

A low sigh escaped Sebastian's mouth and he sat down on the edge of the bed. "Fine. I'll stay here," he said.

Ciel pressed his face into the pillow to hide his smile from Sebastian. He would never admit that he was glad to have Sebastian here. His hand reached out to grab Sebastian's shirt before he let his eyes close and he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Sebastian woke to something poking him in the cheek and he blinked his eyes open slowly. Ciel slowly came into view and Sebastian slapped away the child's finger before it could poke him again.<p>

"Wat's goin on?" he slurred.

"I told you he wasn't dead," Ciel stated to someone behind him.

Sebastian bolted up right and his head whipped around quickly, joints cracking as he did so. To his horror, Vincent and Rachel were staring there, looking at him with confusion. He stood up quickly to explain himself. "Ciel had a nightmare last night and wouldn't fall asleep until I told him a story. And then he asked me to stay here until he fell asleep and I must've fallen asleep."

Rachel giggled and brought her hand up to brush away a piece of hair. "That's so sweet of you, Sebastian. It's like a slumber party for Ciel." She glanced at her son. "His first sleep over too."

"It was fun," Ciel pipped up.

"Wonderful," Rachel exclaimed and clapped her hands together. "We'll have to plan another one for you two again. And then by the time schools, Ciel can be ready to have his own slumber party with his classmates."

Vincent shook his head. "That's still months away, honey," he said to Rachel, calming her down slightly. "How about we all head downstairs for breakfast. We have a busy day ahead of us."

"We do?" Sebastian asked.

The older man smiled. "Ciel wanted you to join us on our trip to the lake today. He said you would have more fun there than staying here all by yourself."

Sebastian blinked, unsure with what he was supposed to say. It was his day off today, his one day away from Ciel and a chance to finally breathe. "I-I already had plans," Sebastian stated. "And I don't want to impose on you during your family time."

Ciel sniffed from behind him. "But I want you to come," he said in a forlorn voice and he gripped Sebastian's leg. "Please come with us. We'll have lots of fun, I promise." Blue eyes swung up to meet Sebastian's, promising everything but fun in them.

Sebastian swallowed and glanced at the Vincent and Rachel, knowing that the chances of getting out of this had now vanished. There was no way he would be able to get out of this trip now that Ciel had pulled the puppy dog eyes.

They were truly the eyes of the devil and could make a nun sin. And with those eyes, Sebastian resigned himself to his fate for that day.

"I'll come along," he said and watched as Ciel's eyes danced with amusement and an evil smile spread across his lips, unseen by his parents.

Sebastian sighed and rubbed his temples. Ciel truly was a demon child.


	3. Playing Doctor

**A/N:** Finally sat down and wrote the next chapter. It was done in one go and I'm sure there's mistakes but please ignore them ^^.

**Warnings:** Overload on fluff, some cursing, unbetaed

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing

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><p><strong>Chapter Three:<strong>

Tears leaked from Sebastian's eyes as he hunched over the desk in his room while he tried to gasp for breath. Peals of laughter escaped his mouth, broken only by a few harsh rounds coughs as his lungs tried to supply enough air to his lungs.

He wiped the salty tears away and leaned back from his computer, still chuckling. He paused to grab a tissue that sat next to the computer and blew his nose before tossing the used tissue in the trash can. His whole body ached, from his skin to his chest and Sebastian swore that he wouldn't set foot outside of the house for the rest of the summer.

After the other days adventure on the lake, Sebastian had come back home sunburned and sick to his stomach from swallowing too much water. Ciel had thought it would be fun to tell Vincent that he was ready well before Sebastian was set in the water with the skis; resulting in Sebastian being yanked out of the water without warning as the boat took off.

That, and the little brat found it funny to hide the sunscreen and instead give Sebastian normal lotion. The resulting mess was that Sebastian could barely move by days end. His skin prickled with every movement and sleeping that night was painful.

It was worse when Ciel decided to jump on him the following morning to wake him up. Sebastian was sure that everyone in the neighborhood heard him yell. But as the day progressed yesterday, it was obvious that Sebastian had caught something while he was at the lake.

Whether it was from swallowing so much water or just too much time in the sun at once, they didn't know. But halfway through the day, Sebastian had a fever and random bouts of dizziness. After almost passing out in the shower that night, Rachel had told Sebastian to take the next day off so he could recover.

Code for; 'you're sick, stay the hell away from precious child'.

Sebastian took the offer though without any complaint and found that he didn't mind being confined to his room. His meals were brought to him and Sebastian was able to catch up on his sleep and relaxation without having to worry about Ciel.

So far, he had been spending his morning watching YouTube videos and laughing at the funny kitten ones. He could never get enough of the fluffy kittens and their antics and it made him yearn for his own. But such a thing was impossible while he stayed at the mansion, as it wasn't his place and Vincent had informed Sebastian that Ciel was allergic to the animals.

If the pay weren't so good, Sebastian would think about sneaking one in and hiding it from the family. But as it was, the pay and benefits were good and the money was helping to pay for his schooling; which was growing more expensive each year.

Colleges were like leaches. Scary and bloodsucking bastards.

But school started in a month and a half, and Sebastian could wait that long to get his kitten. By then, he would be able to pay his tuition for the fall term and still have some left over. A small sigh left Sebastian's mouth and he turned back to his computer.

The kitten videos were making him anxious for his own and Sebastian closed the site out before he gave into temptation and bought one. Instead, he stood up slowly and made his way over to the easel that rested in the corner of the room.

He paused as another round of coughs hit his body and he sucked in a deep breath once he finished, feeling the pain recede from his chest. The coughing fits would hit on and off throughout the day, and they were quickly becoming annoying.

So long as they didn't hit him while he was painting, then Sebastian would be fine. He wouldn't want to mess up a painting due to something as silly as coughing.

The canvas already covered with sketch lines and Sebastian looked over it with a critical eye. He didn't consider himself a great artist, as he only dabbled on the side but he had to admit that he liked how his most recent drawing was coming along.

All that was left now was to add color to the canvas and with the time off today, Sebastian could do such thing. Clearing his throat one last time, Sebastian reached for his bin of paints, only to drop it as the door slammed open behind him.

The paints fell to the floor, making a loud noise as they fell against the bin they were once resting in. Luckily, none of them opened and the paint had stayed inside the bottles. That was the only saving grace and Sebastian turned around quickly, wanting to know who had disturbed him in such a way.

His eye twitched as they settled on Ciel, standing in the doorway. The young male wore a large white coat that pooled at his feet and a headband with a circle, made of construction paper attached to the front of it.

"What are you doing, Ciel?" he asked carefully. "Your mother said that you weren't supposed to bother me."

Ciel shook his head. "Mommy left to go shopping with Aunt Ann and Lizzy, and Daddy is busy downstairs. So I'm bored and since he won't play with me, I decided to come see you!" he said happily and padded further into the room. "Mommy said you were sick and a doctor could make you better."

Sebastian held up his hands, trying to keep Ciel away from him. "That's nice of you, Ciel, but I just need some rest and I'll be better in a day or two."

"No! That's too long," Ciel stated and stomped his foot. "It's boring without you," he finished in a quieter tone.

A small sigh left Sebastian's mouth. "If you play with me now, you'll get sick as well, and then you won't see me for an even longer time," he said, trying to force logic into Ciel's mind. But such a thing rarely works with kids and Sebastian should've known that.

"I won't get sick," Ciel exclaimed. "I have my shots. All of them, including my cootie shot. Cause girls are icky and have cooties."

"Ciel, please," Sebastian pleaded. "We can play all you want when I'm better." He climbed over the bed, putting more space between them as Ciel tried to get closer. "But for now, go play with someone else in the mansion."

A pout formed on Ciel's lips. "No one else will play with me like you do. Besides, it's your job to entertain me and if you don't , I'll tell daddy that you were mean to me."

Sebastian's shoulders slumped. He was in a hard place right now as either option he was presented with had the chance of getting him in trouble. "Fine," he said finally with a sigh. He already had the symptoms and if he remembered his biology class, then he was already past the contagious stage. Or so he hoped. "I'll play with you."

"Good," Ciel chirped and pointed to the bed. "I'm going to nurse you back to health. Mommy said you need a doctor and I'm a doctor right now." He gestured to the outfit he was wearing and Sebastian could feel a headache mounting behind his eyes.

With a heavy sigh, he sat down on the bed and watched as Ciel padded over to him, trying not to stumble over his coat. Surprisingly, he made it the whole way and Sebastian glanced at the bag in Ciel's hand before he gestured at it. "What's the bag for?" he asked.

Ciel lifted it up and placed it on the bed. "It's my doctor's bag," he answered. "It's got all the stuff you need to be a doctor."

Sebastian's eyebrow arched slightly as he watched Ciel pull out his doctor tools. A plastic stethoscope was draped around Ciel's neck, and several bandages and lengths of wrap were set next to Sebastian. A reflex hammer was pulled out next, followed by a fake needle and Sebastian could only hope that Ciel didn't try to push that into his body.

"Hold out your arm," Ciel ordered and waited patiently for Sebastian to listen.

With a sigh, Sebastian held out his hand and waited as Ciel wrapped a blood pressure cuff around his wrist. It was too small to fit on his upper arm and Sebastian wondered if the thing would even work. His eyes settled on the plastic dial as Ciel started to squeeze the pump and watched as it spun around, giving the impression that it was working.

Ciel glanced at it as well and smiled happily when it stopped at the top of the dial. "That part of you is healthy," he beamed and took the cuff away, tucking it back into his small black bag. "Now to test your temperature."

Before Sebastian could say now, a plastic device was shoved into his mouth and Sebastian's eyes went cross-eyed as he tried to look at it. It had a small yellow top that could be turned to give the temperature and Sebastian sighed.

"Don't move and keep it there while I check your kicking reflex," Ciel ordered.

Sebastian nodded and quickly adjusted the dial on the thermometer while Ciel was staring at his legs, trying to figure out how he was supposed to do the next step. Once done, he looked down at Ciel and shifted slightly as Ciel brought the hammer up to his knee.

There was a light tap that Sebastian barely felt and he looked up as he felt Ciel's gaze on him. The blue eyes narrowed and Ciel tried again, hitting his knee a little harder this time. A third time had frustration filling Ciel's eyes and on the fourth try, Sebastian decided to humor Ciel.

When the hammer hit his leg, he gave it a small kick and was rewarded with a happy yell. Ciel put the hammer away and reached up to pluck the thermometer from his mouth. "You have a good kicking reaction," he started. "And you have a good fever."

Sebastian opened his mouth to correct Ciel but closed it, deciding that it wasn't worth the effort. Instead, he let Ciel grab the bandage wraps next to him and grunted slightly when Ciel yanked on his arm. His annoyance faded away only a little as Ciel struggled with the long bandage as he tried to wrap it around his arm. It was humorous and most of the time, the bandage was wrapped around Ciel's body.

"Stand up," Ciel finally said.

Nodding, Sebastian stood up and held still as Ciel moved around him, wrapping the bandage around his leg. It was easier for the child but left Sebastian feeling like a mummy in the end. The end of the wrap trailed down his leg and Ciel slapped his hand away when he tried to tie it properly.

"I'm the doctor here," he stated. "I know what's best for you."

"Of course," Sebastian answered and settled back on the bed, wondering what Ciel was going to do next.

His question was quickly answered as Ciel slapped a plastic bandage around his wrist, the white plastic toy a stark contrast to his now red skin. Once that was done, Ciel tugged at the stethoscope around his neck and brought it up to his ears.

"I need to listen to your heart," Ciel stated and wiggled his fingers. "Lean down so I can reach."

Sighing, Sebastian did as he was told and let Ciel place the flat end of the stethoscope on his chest. His eyebrow rose slightly as it was placed on the right side and Sebastian looked up at Ciel. "Um, Ciel."

"Doctor," Ciel corrected, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. "It's Doctor Ciel."

"Fine. Doctor Ciel, the heart is on the other side," Sebastian corrected softly.

Ciel shook his head. "Nah-uh."

Sebastian sighed and grabbed Ciel's hand and brought it up to the boy's chest. He pressed it against Ciel's body, resting right above his heart so Ciel could feel the beat. Blue eyes widened in fascination and Ciel wiggled with excitement.

"I wanna hear yours," he said and shifted the toy to Sebastian's left side of his chest. Seconds ticked by in silence before Ciel's mouth pulled down into a frown and suddenly the toy was tossed to the side of the room before Ciel pushed back at Sebastian, making him lay down on the bed. Once he was down. He started to press down against Sebastian's chest.

"What are you doing?" Sebastian asked curiously.

Ciel's hands continued to move. "I can't hear your heart, so I'm giving you mouth to mouth resurrection," Ciel answered. "Otherwise you'll die!"

The hands stopped moving and suddenly Ciel's face appeared before Sebastian's, lips puckered. "No!" Sebastian yelled and his hands quickly shot out to grab Ciel's shoulders, stomping the young male just inches from his face.

"Let me go!" Ciel cried. "I have to kiss you or you won't make it. Stay away from the light if you see it."

Sebastian shook his head and pushed Ciel back before grabbing his hand. "I don't need CPR, Ciel," he answered and pressed Ciel's hand to his chest, letting the younger male feel his heart. "See, my heartbeat is right here and I'm still alive."

Ciel sniffed and lowered his head to rest against Sebastian's chest, listening to the beating heart. "It's loud," he said softly. "Does that mean it's strong?"

"I like to think so," Sebastian answered.

"Good. That means you won't die and leave me alone," Ciel murmured and closed his eyes as he continued to listen to the strong sound. "Mommy said I was born with a weak heart, so I can't get too excited at times."

Sebastian was silent and patted the boy on his back awkwardly. He didn't know what to say at a time like this and instead brought up his hand to rest against Ciel's chest. "I think it feels strong now," he finally said. "And maybe as you get older, it'll get strong if you're good."

Ciel smiled brightly and pressed his ear to Sebastian's chest again. "That would be nice," he stated before yawning. "I wanna take a nap, Sebastian."

"You'll have to go back to your room for that Ciel," Sebastian answered. "Your mom said you couldn't see me until I was feeling better and I can get in trouble for this."

A pout formed on Ciel's lips. "Can you at least carry me back to my room and tuck me in?"

Sebastian sighed. "I can do that," he answered finally and picked the child up. He shifted his grip so he could hold Ciel better before moving towards the door. "You can't tell your mom about this okay? I'll get in a lot of trouble."

Ciel nodded. "It can be our secret," he said. "Bitter Rabbit and I have lots of secrets too."

Sebastian chuckled as they moved down the hallway, Ciel falling silent in his arms. By the time they reached his room, the child was already almost asleep and Sebastian set him down carefully on the bed. He pulled back the covers and waited until Ciel crawled under the blankets before bringing them up to Ciel's chin.

They were tucked around his body and Sebastian gave Ciel's pillow one last fluff before standing up. "Have a good nap," he said quietly.

"Sebastian?" Ciel murmured, voice slurred slightly due to the sleep pulling at his consciousness. "I want a kiss."

Sebastian paused. "A kiss?" he asked. "Why would you want such a thing?"

"It makes me sleep better when mommy gives me a goodnight kiss," Ciel answered and blinked at Sebastian.

A soft sigh left Sebastian's mouth before he leaned down to press a light kiss to Ciel's forehead. "You'll have to accept that," he said. "That's all I can give you. Now get some rest, you've had a long day taking care of me."

Ciel nodded. "But do you feel better?" he asked.

Sebastian smiled slightly. "I do," he answered. "Now sleep. You'll feel better when you wake."

A soft mumble left Ciel's mouth and Sebastian took that as a sign to leave. The light was turned off and a small snore left Ciel right before Sebastian shut the door, making him chuckle and shake his head. Though the times were rare, babysitting Ciel was sometimes fun when the child went out of his way to make things better. And it made Sebastian enjoy his job, if only for a little while.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Sebastian received a clean bill of health from Ann, who eased Rachel's mind that Sebastian would be able to take over his duties again. A firm grope to his backside had been payment for the visit and left Sebastian feeling violated once she left.<p>

The same though could not be said for Ciel, who had developed a small fever during the night and was now sporting a runny nose. Soup was brought up for him and Sebastian couldn't help but feel bad, knowing that he was probably the cause of such a thing. Rachel seemed to agree and rounded on him the moment he stepped into the room with the tray of soup.

"You did this to him," she stated. "You got him sick, even though I told you to stay in your room."

"I didn't see him at all yesterday," Sebastian answered, hoping that Ciel would back him up. "I stayed in my room and worked on my painting."

Rachel's eyes narrowed and she turned to Ciel. "Is that true sweetie? Did you see Sebastian at all yesterday?"

Ciel shook his head and rubbed at his nose. "No. It was boring all day without him too. Does he have to stay away from me too, or can he play doctor with me?" Blue eyes shined up at Rachel, begging her to let Sebastian stay with him.

Sighing, Rachel nodded. "He can stay, but only for a little while. I need to run to work to pick up some things and then I'll be back to take care of you." She glanced at Sebastian. "Until then, Sebastian will stay with you until I come back."

Ciel perked up and waved Sebastian over. "Thank you mommy," he chirped happily and he sent a sly smile towards Sebastian.

It was returned as Sebastian set the tray down on the bed and Sebastian settled next to it. It seemed as though for this game, they were partners in crime.


	4. Christmas Special

**A/N**: This story needs more love from me D8 And I know that the last chapter was still set in summer but this chapter is set in Christmas. Consider it a quick special for the holidays. This is what I get for listening to 'All I Want for Christmas is You' Lol XD I hope everyone enjoys the holidays, whatever you may celebrate and have a Happy New Year ^_^ Stay safe! And may you have a better day than me xD

**Warnings**: Fluff

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Kuroshitsuji

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><p>Snow fell down outside, covering everything with a white blanket that glistened in the bright lights that streamed through windows. Snowflakes kissed the glass surface and imprinted their breathtaking design onto the pane for everyone to see if they wished to look. But the life of the party was further in the house and away from the cool windows.<p>

But while everyone was celebrating the holidays in the heart of the house, lonely deep blue eyes gazed out the window at the crisp snow that covered the rolling lawn. They were focused on the open gate that led out to the road if one was leaving or up the driveway to the house if one was visiting. And right now, the child was silently hoping and wishing for a car to pull through those ebony colored gates.

The driveway stayed empty though and the snow continued to fall, covering the freshly shoveled drive. It coated everything and blue eyes darted to the snowmen that were sitting in the building white powder. They were slowly being buried by the snow and already the smaller of the two was up to its chest in snow.

Small pale fingers curled against the cold window and the child pressed his face closer to the pane until he was staring back at his reflection. "Sebastian," he whimpered, warm breath fanning against the window and making fog ghost across the glass.

"Ciel?" A curious and almost hesitant voice called behind him.

Ciel turned his head around and looked at the child who was gazing at him intently with green eyes. Her blond hair was pinned back and curls fell around her face, framing it in a way that brought out the flush in her cheeks. "Elizabeth," he answered and glanced out the window again.

A small sigh left her mouth. "Lizzy," she said. "I told you before to call me Lizzy, please."

Blue eyes blinked and Ciel turned away from the window. "Fine. Lizzy, I'm waiting for someone and don't wanna dance right now." He clutched Bitter Rabbit to his chest.

Elizabeth shook her head. "But you've been waiting for ages now, Ciel, and you're missing the party." She looked down at her shoes. "Can you come play for just a little bit? Then you can come back and wait after that?"

Ciel huffed. "But what if he comes back while I'm playing? I don't want him to think I'm having fun without him."

Footsteps echoed in the foyer, cutting off Elizabeth from speaking and Ciel glanced up at his aunt. Her cheeks were flushed from dancing and the heat of the room she had just left and her eyes sparkled with joy at the sight of them.

"Come on, Ciel! You're missing all the fun and I know there's a slice of cake in there with your name on it," she chirped and scooped Ciel up into her arms, giving him a small spin.

Ciel shook his head. "I'm waiting for Sebastian."

Ann clicked her tongue. "Ciel, Sebastian has a life outside this house and he has to have some downtime too. He can't work all the time and needs time off to himself or else he would go crazy." She started to walk back to the center of the house where the party was being held, while keeping a tight grip on a squirming Ciel. "He won't be here tonight or tomorrow."

Hands clutched at Ann's shoulders. "He has to be!" Ciel cried, his voice pitching. "He said we would make more snowman and we would play with my toys after I opened them. He said he would be here!"

Ann's eyes softened slightly and she ran a hand down Ciel's cheek, trying to calm him down. "Ciel, I don't think he meant tonight and tomorrow. I'm sure he's spending his holidays with his family right now and is enjoying the time with them. You can't be greedy and keep him all to yourself."

Ciel crossed his arms and jerked his chin up. "I can so keep him all to myself. I'll buy a collar and put it on him so he'll be mine, just like the dog. Then he won't be able to leave me. Ever." His eyes narrowed. "You can't stop me."

Loud laughter left Ann's mouth and she ruffled Ciel's hair. "If only you were older, then I would tease you about your possessive, kinky side but I'll refrain." Her lips twitched with humor. "But you can't collar him sweetie. He's a free bird and can't be caged. He needs to spread his wings so he can fly every now and then."

"He's mine!" Ciel cried, his eyes swimming with emotions as they entered the party room. Heat washed over them and Ciel glanced around the people in the room, searching for a familiar face even though Ciel knew that Sebastian wasn't there yet. He clutched Bitter Rabbit tighter and turned his head away from everyone as they called his name happily. "I want Sebastian," he murmured.

Ann hummed and pressed a soft kiss to Ciel's temple. "But Sebastian isn't here sweetie. He'll come around soon though, maybe in a week or two once the holidays have passed." She smiled as Rachel glided over to them, her arms reaching out for Ciel. "But I think your mom wants to see you."

Ciel turned to look at his mother and tumbled into her outstretched arms, sniffing softly. He was embraced tightly and a soft hand ran through his hair. "What's the matter Ciel?" Rachel asked him.

"I want Sebastian," Ciel repeated as he was slowly lowered to the ground. He was vaguely aware of Elizabeth pressing close behind him in hopes that they would get to play together but Ciel was stubborn.

"Sweetheart," Rachel cooed and brushed some bangs from Ciel's face. "Sebastian won't be coming today. We gave him the holidays off because we would be home. We can't keep him from his family, honey."

Ciel shook his head quickly, not wanting to believe the words. Sebastian told him that he would be there and Sebastian never broke his promised. "He can spend the holidays here. We're better than his family."

Rachel laughed lightly before tapping Ciel on his nose. "Don't be greedy Ciel, it's Christmas. Be generous and giving." She turned him around so Ciel was facing Elizabeth. "Now Elizabeth here has been waiting all night to play with you and I think you owe her a dance before your bedtime."

Ciel stomped his foot angrily. "I don't want to dance with her. She's a girl and girls are icky. Why can't anyone understand that?" He cried. Sebastian was the only one who seemed to understand how Ciel felt to girls and had often agreed with him. It was one of the reasons Ciel liked Sebastian so much. The older male understood and cared about him.

"Ciel!" Rachel exclaimed. Elizabeth's eyes were filled with tears that threatened to overflow at any second due to Ciel's words. "Apologize to Elizabeth right now. She's your friend and doesn't deserve such mean words."

The child huffed and crossed his arms across his chest. "No." He said stubbornly and glared at his mother. He wasn't going to dance with Elizabeth until Sebastian was there and they had danced together first.

Rachel's eyes narrowed slightly. "Ciel, you're being very mean to Elizabeth and Santa won't like that very much if you keep misbehaving. You need to say you're sorry to her right now, even if you don't want to play with her."

Ciel looked at Elizabeth and clutched Bitter Rabbit tighter as though the plush animal was his security blanket. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth," he mumbled.

"Lizzy," she said softly, tears still threatening to overflow.

"Sorry, Lizzy," Ciel amended and could feel his eyes watering as well. This wasn't how he wanted to spend his Christmas, by getting in trouble with his mother and not having Sebastian there. Before he could stop himself, the tears started to stream down his cheeks until he was sobbing loudly. It wasn't fair. He had been good the days that Sebastian was gone, hoping that it would bring the older male back but it seemed as though Sebastian wasn't going to be there for him on Christmas as Ciel had hoped.

Rachel reached for Ciel and pulled him closer to her chest, trying her best to soothe Ciel but he only cried all the louder. "Its okay, Ciel. We're not mad at you anymore since you apologized."

Hiccups left Ciel's mouth as he continued to cry and tears dripped from his face. "I just want Sebastian," he wailed and clutched his mother tightly as she rocked him back and forth. The room grew quiet around him but Ciel couldn't bring himself to care. He had written a letter to Santa earlier that week asking for Sebastian back but it seemed as though his letter hadn't made it to the North Pole in time.

"I think it's time for you to get to bed," Rachel murmured, brushing away the tears. She stood up with Ciel in her arms and placed a hand on his head, trying to calm him down. "I'll be right back, just let me get him into bed."

Ciel buried his face into his mother's neck and continued to cry softly as they left the room. Cool air brushed over his heated cheeks as they moved down the hallway and Ciel sniffed while holding Bitter Rabbit close to him. It wasn't fair that Sebastian wasn't here and Ciel was upset with himself for crying in front of everyone but he couldn't help it.

Sebastian was his friend and at times, the older male seemed like his only friend. He understood Ciel and would always play with him. They had their games and secrets that was only for them to know about and it made Sebastian even cooler. Ciel never had a friend like that before and Ciel was already six. That was a lot of years for him.

He glanced up as the door to his bedroom was opened and he was carried over to the bed. Ciel reached for the covers once he was close enough and scrambled to the middle of the bed, watching his mother carefully. "I'm sorry," he sniffed and rubbed his eyes with a fist. "I didn't mean to be trouble."

"Oh Ciel," Rachel breathed and sat on the bed. "You're not trouble and don't think that we love you any less because of what happened downstairs. But you have to understand that even though Sebastian cares greatly for you, he still needs to spend time with his family and friends too. You wouldn't like it if you couldn't see us for a long time, right?"

Ciel shook his head. "No," he admitted. "I would miss you bunches. This much." He held out his arms to show just how much he would miss his parents and Rachel giggled at him, making Ciel smile slightly.

"Exactly. Sebastian has been away from home a long time and I'm sure he misses his parents too. That's why he's not here tonight," Rachel said, standing up so she could get Ciel's pajamas. "He still cares for you and I know he misses you, but he didn't leave you forever. He'll be back soon."

Ciel held his arms up so his mother could take his shirt off, replacing it with a warm pajama top. "You sure?" He asked and tugged at the bottom of his shirt.

Rachel nodded and helped Ciel with his pants. "I'm sure. You have nothing to worry about, Ciel." She tapped his nose and helped him under the covers. "Now, get some sleep. Santa can't come if you're not asleep in bed."

Small hands reached for Bitter Rabbit, pulling him close again as Ciel snuggled under the covers. He turned onto his back so he could give his mother a goodnight kiss before she stood up. "Night mommy," he called as his mother walked towards the door.

"Night, Ciel. I love you," she answered by the door.

"Love you too," Ciel murmured as the light was clicked off and the darkness settled around the room. The only light that filtered into the room was the moon outside, shining brightly with the white snow that covered the ground.

Minutes ticked by into hours and Ciel tossed and turned in his bed, trying to sleep but finding that sleep was eluding him. His mind was plagued with thoughts of Sebastian never returning, despite what his mother said and Ciel was left crying quietly into his pillow. Bitter Rabbit was a silent comfort and companion next to him and Ciel pressed his face into the rabbit's stomach as a few more tears leaked from his eyes.

He let out a shaky sigh and rolled on his side to look out the window, taking the plush with him. The snow had stopped falling and slowly, Ciel crawled out of the bed and made his way to the window. His room overlooked the backyard and he could see the covered pool along with the clear night sky. The skies had cleared, leaving just the moon and stars in the sky, and Ciel glanced up at them.

Santa was out there somewhere and Ciel pressed his hand against the window, wondering if the man was still listening. Despite what everyone was telling him about how it wasn't fair to have Sebastian here for Christmas, Ciel still wanted him there. He wanted to share the day with him and give him a present.

Ciel glanced over his shoulder and looked at his bed. He hid the presents he made and bought for Sebastian under there and didn't have time to give it to the other male. He was proud of the gifts as the first one was made by himself and the second gift Ciel had bought with his own money. His mother had helped him pick it out early last week and then helped wrap it too before Ciel hid it under the bed. Sebastian would never think to look there.

He turned his attention back to the sky outside, where the stars were twinkling and almost dancing in the dark night. Ciel's eyes darted around, searching the sky for the biggest and brightest star that he could find. It took a while but Ciel finally found the star he was looking for. It danced off far in the distance but it still drew Ciel's attention despite being far away.

"Star light, star bright, and Santa too. Have the wish I wish tonight," Ciel whispered and pressed closer to the window. It wasn't the proper poem but Ciel didn't care. "I wish that Sebastian could be here for Christmas. I really, really do."

Ciel held his breath, hoping that by wishing this way, Sebastian would magically appear in his room. It was almost Christmas after all and people were always talking about miracles happing during this time. Perhaps if Ciel was really lucky, he would get his own miracle and Sebastian would come right away.

But his room stayed empty and Ciel felt his shoulders slump as his hope flickered away. "Please," he whispered hoarsely. "I promise I'll be good next year and that I'll play with Elizabeth more often, even though she has cooties. I'll even give one of my toys to her. Just answer my wish. Please." A few tears streaked down his face and Ciel dropped to his knees, exhaustion washing over his body.

It was already late at night and well past his bedtime, but with the added stress of waiting and hoping that Sebastian would appear had only helped to tire out his body even more. Blue eyes drooped but Ciel kept muttering the words repeatedly, hoping for a miracle. That someone had heard his wish and that Sebastian was on his way to see him.

Time passed and Ciel wasn't sure when he fell asleep but it felt like hours later when soft hands lifted him from the floor. He groaned lowly and pressed into the warm body that held him tightly as he blinked his eyes. A figure swam before him and Ciel rubbed at his eyes, trying to see the person that was carrying him.

"Sebastian?" He slurred at the sight of dark hair and he reached for the older male but his hand fell short as he was placed on the bed.

"You should be sleeping in bed, Ciel," the person murmured and pulled the blankets over his body. "Not by the cold window."

They were tucked around him, trapping the warmth around Ciel's body and pulling him back into the clutches of sleep. "Sebastian," Ciel mumbled before sleep overtook him once more.

* * *

><p>It was bright the next morning when Ciel woke up, the sunlight making the white snow shine all the more bright and Ciel turned away from the window with a loud yawn. He didn't remember crawling back into bed last night and the last thing he could remember was making a wish on the star before falling asleep.<p>

Ciel gasped and sat up quickly, clutching Bitter Rabbit tightly. He had a dream last night that Sebastian came and brought him back to bed but maybe it hadn't been a dream. Maybe his wish had been answered.

Excitement bubbled in Ciel's chest and he quickly tossed the covers aside before running to his door. It was tossed open and Ciel ran down the hallway to Sebastian's room. It couldn't have been a dream. It felt too real and Ciel was certain that the person had been Sebastian. It couldn't have been anyone else.

He came to a stop outside of Sebastian's room. The door was closed, just as it had been last night and Ciel quickly pushed the door open, hoping that Sebastian was asleep in bed. But as Ciel stumbled into the room, he realized that it was still bare. The bed was neat and made, and there was no sign of Sebastian living there.

Shoulders slumped and Ciel sniffed slightly before backing out of the room. It was only a dream then, Sebastian hadn't returned last night and Ciel's wish wasn't heard. Ciel wiped his nose and put on a brave face as he made his way down the hallway towards the steps. He had hoped that his wish would've worked but Santa must've been too busy last night to bring Sebastian home.

With a sigh, Ciel walked down the steps. The smell of Christmas dinner was already drifting through the house and Ciel could hear the dog barking downstairs, mixing in with laughter from his parents. He knew there were presents down there for him and Ciel was excited to open them after having to wait for ages to finally open them.

But the one present that Ciel desperately wanted wouldn't be there and that thought helped to damper the excitement that had been racing through Ciel all month long. Still, Ciel knew that Sebastian would be back. Everyone kept telling him that the older male would return and then it would be just like a late Christmas present.

That helped to make some things better and Ciel smiled slightly as he trotted towards the breakfast nook where his parents were sitting around the table. They greeted him warmly and he gave them a kiss on the cheek in return before a plate of crunchy waffles was set before him. Ciel grinned at the meal and quickly started to eat. Waffles were his favorite.

He listened to his parents talk while soft Christmas music played from the radio, creating a relaxing morning. When he finished eating, his mother turned to him with a smile on her face. "Shall we go open presents, Ciel?" She asked.

Ciel nodded his head, finding that the excitement he thought was gone due to Sebastian's absence was slowly coming back. "Yes!" He said happily and slid off the chair. He tugged at his mother's arm and they made their way to the living room where the tree was set up in the corner of the room.

A fire burned hotly in the fireplace and the logs cracked as they entered the living room, sending warmth over Ciel. Blue eyes took in the stack of presents under the tree but they quickly lost their appeal at the sight of something else sitting next to the tree. Ciel sucked in a deep breath as his eyes settled on Sebastian sitting close to the fireplace, a blue bow perched carefully on his head.

"Sebastian!" Ciel shouted and ran forward happily. He launched himself into Sebastian's arms, his own wrapping around the man's torso and hugging him tightly. "It was you last night," he said, voice muffled from Sebastian's shirt. He felt his chest tighten and tears threatened to overtake him but this time they were tears of happiness.

His wish had been answered after all and Ciel couldn't be any happier to have Sebastian here for him. He didn't know how or when but Ciel wasn't going to question that. It was his Christmas miracle and Sebastian had turned out to be the best present already. Ciel pulled back and looked up at the older male, crimson eyes gazing down warmly at him.

"Merry Christmas, Sebastian," he said shyly and reached up to pull the bow from Sebastian's hair, successfully 'unwrapping' his present.

A low chuckle left Sebastian's mouth and he pressed a soft kiss to Ciel's forehead. "Merry Christmas, Ciel," he answered, brushing a stray piece of hair to the side of Ciel's face.

Ciel giggled and tossed his arms around Sebastian's neck, hardly believing his luck. He tightened his grip and looked at the small Santa statue that was resting on the hearth. "Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you for bringing him back to me." Because it wasn't Christmas without Sebastian by his side.


	5. New Year's Special

**A/N**: Happy New Year's everyone! I decided to write a quick follow up to the Christmas special with a New Year's special. I hope that everyone enjoys the day and stays safe as you bring in 2012 (Year of the Dragon! That's me! XD)

**Warnings**: Fluff with the tiniest bit of angst. Life can't always be fun :(

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Kuroshitsuji

* * *

><p>Festive lights blinked and danced around the room, creating a festive atmosphere as people moved around the floor. They chatted happily and talked with animated gestures, being careful not to spill the wine that was held in tall flutes. Crimson eyes watched them from the corner of the room, finding the scene all too familiar.<p>

He had left a similar scene the previous week on Christmas Eve after getting into a fight with his friend. It was how he had ended up at the Phantomhive mansion that night. He had surprised Vincent and Rachel, but they were all too happy to see him and have him for the holidays, especially after how Ciel had reacted to finding out that he wasn't coming that day.

But in the end, Sebastian had been able to make Ciel's Christmas something special and that had made up for the terrible holiday that Sebastian had had. He shook his head and sipped at the drink in his hand. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about that. Not when he was being paid double to work and watch Ciel.

After last week, Rachel didn't want to take the chance of Sebastian leaving again and had offered to double his pay if he would stay during the holidays to play with Ciel. With no family to return to and a fight hanging over his head, Sebastian had happily accepted the offer and was now enjoying the annual grand party that the Phantomhive's threw.

Although there was one little problem that this party presented.

He grunted as something tackled his leg and Sebastian looked down to see bright green eyes gazing up at him. "Hello Lizzy," he said with a small smile.

The child squealed in delight, happy that Sebastian had remembered to call her by her nickname instead of her actual name. "Will you dance with me Sebastian?" She asked, stepping back to give a small curtsey.

Sebastian gave a light sigh but nodded his head. His drink was set to the side and he let Elizabeth drag him out to the floor where other people were dancing. "May I have this dance?" He asked, making her giggle. He held her small hand lightly and bent forward so they could start dancing.

It was an awkward motion, as he was hunched forward so much and already Sebastian's back was starting to hurt. But he forced himself to ignore it as Sebastian focused on moving around the dance floor without running into anyone. He could feel people staring at him and could see the smiles on their faces, no doubt thinking he was adorable and charming for submitting to the whims of a child.

They only thought that because they weren't the ones having to do it. Elizabeth and Ciel sought out him and no one else for their playmate and as such, Sebastian had barely talked to any of the adults in the room. And speaking of Ciel.

Crimson eyes darted around the room, searching for the younger child. Ciel was horribly jealous that Sebastian was spending time with Elizabeth and had tried to lock Sebastian in his room earlier. However, Ciel had forgotten that the doors opened in instead of out and that propping a chair under the door handle wouldn't help any.

Sebastian turned his attention back to Elizabeth as he carefully spun her in a circle, her dress flaring out slightly. Ciel would make himself known soon enough and then Sebastian would have to play damage control for a while before Ciel calmed down enough. Both children were hoping to stay up until midnight this year but Sebastian wasn't sure if he would be able to make it himself.

His body was tired and he felt worn down. Not just from the holidays and chasing Ciel around all week long, but everything else that had happened and Sebastian simply wanted to sleep. But that wasn't an option now and at twenty-four dollars an hour, Sebastian could gut out the remaining hours until the New Year.

"Sebastian!" A loud voice called, cutting through his musings.

Sebastian turned his head to the side, a small smile crossing his face as Ciel stormed over to him. Blue eyes flashed angrily, Ciel clearly not happy that Sebastian was dancing with Elizabeth. "I was wondering where you were, Ciel," Sebastian stated, coming to a stop. He could see the accusing eyes, as though Sebastian was cheating on Elizabeth by dancing with her instead of Ciel.

"I had to go potty and get something to eat but when I came back, you were gone," Ciel said with a huff. "And you're dancing with a girl."

"I thought you promised Santa that you would be nice to Lizzy?" Sebastian teased. Ciel had told him Christmas night about his wish to Santa and Sebastian couldn't help but chuckle at the innocence in Ciel.

Ciel shook his head. "It's not New Year's yet, it's still the eve," he stated. He glanced at Elizabeth before focusing on Sebastian again. "And I want to dance with you," he murmured.

Sebastian sighed, trying to think of a way out of this mess. He couldn't abandon Elizabeth but he couldn't ignore Ciel either. Either option would end with an upset child, which in turn would make a parent angry. And that was the last thing Sebastian wanted. "How about I finish this dance with Lizzy and then you and I can dance," he suggested.

Ciel gazed at him before nodding and holding out his finger. "Promise."

"I promise," Sebastian answered, wrapping his pinky finger around Ciel's. They shook on it and Sebastian watched as Ciel shuffled to a safe spot to watch them. Once gone, Sebastian turned his attention back to Elizabeth. "Shall we?" He asked. "I think I see some other dashing gentlemen over there looking for a chance to dance with you as well."

Elizabeth giggled and waved to her brother who was watching them like a hawk; no doubt making sure that Sebastian didn't try anything. The thought made Sebastian shudder and he started to dance again. He wouldn't dare lay a hand on Elizabeth or Ciel in that manner; or any other child for that fact.

"You're a good dancer," Elizabeth chirped as she bumped into his legs after coming back from a spin. She beamed at him as they came to a stop in front of her brother and she hugged his waist. "Thank you for dancing with me, Sebastian," she murmured, feeling shy as she played with her hair.

"Thank _you_ for dancing with me, it was a pleasure," Sebastian answered, bowing low to her and giving the back of her hand a kiss. She giggled at the action and hid her face behind her hand. With a smile, Sebastian straightened up and saluted her brother. "I leave this fine lady in your hands," he commented.

A mumbled answer was given and Sebastian slipped away before lasers started to shoot from the man's eyes. He was excessively protective of his sister, although in a way Sebastian figured it could be considered endearing. He grunted at the thought and made his way to the food table to get something to eat before he passed out. He still had a promised dance with Ciel and he needed food before that could happen.

"The children seem to really love you," a voice commented as he reached for a bowl of nuts.

Sebastian glanced to the side, a red dress filling his vision and he smiled politely at Ann. "I wouldn't say love," he answered. "I'm like a new toy and as they get older they'll move on."

Ann clicked her tongue. "That's a depressing thought for the holidays," she stated, handing him a glass of punch. "I don't think you give yourself enough credit. They adore you and even when they get older, they'll still remember. But either way, I'm sure you'll make a great father. I bet you can't wait for kids of your own." She pressed closer and batted her eyelashes.

Sebastian gave a weak chuckle and stepped back slightly. "I haven't really thought about it," he answered. "I'm not exactly seeing anyone right now that could provide a child for me."

"Shame," Ann murmured and dragged her finger down his chest. "I'm sure there are plenty of women here who would love to take that honor."

"I…I have to find Ciel. I promised him a dance," Sebastian answered quickly and darted away from the older woman. This was so not worth twenty-four dollars an hour. And it seemed that the more Sebastian watched over the kids, the more attention it drew to himself with the females and they found it adorable.

He had been corned at least seven times tonight alone by single women asking for his number or something more. The thought made Sebastian shiver slightly and he mentally reminded himself that the money was keeping away the student loans. He wanted to make it through college without any loans and if it meant putting up with some lustful women and bratty children, then Sebastian would grit his teeth and keep working.

The thoughts were pushed to the side as Sebastian found Ciel and held out a cookie as a peace offering. "Shall we dance?" He asked.

Ciel accepted the cookie and looked over it before taking a bite. "Its chocolate chip," he murmured and glanced up at Sebastian. "You remembered this time." Blue eyes shined happily and Ciel finished the rest of the cookie before standing up. He slipped his hand into Sebastian's with a shy movement before they moved to the floor.

"I know what you like," Sebastian answered as he leaned forward once more and took a step back, pulling Ciel with him. The child stumbled over his feet and red flushed across Ciel's cheeks. "Do you know how to dance Ciel?" He asked.

There was a moment's pause before Ciel shook his head, blue eyes filling with embarrassed tears. "No," he almost cried. "I think it's stupid and I hate it. But you were dancing with Lizzy, and you were spending all that time with her and not me."

Sebastian brushed away a tear before it fell from Ciel's eyes. "Ciel, you have nothing to worry about. You are always my top priority no matter what. But I have to make sure Elizabeth doesn't feel the same way you're feeling now, okay?" He asked as he guided them to the edge of the floor.

Ciel nodded slightly and sniffed. "Okay," he said lowly. "Do you still want to dance with me?

A small chuckle left Sebastian's mouth. "Of course I do but why don't we do a different dance. One that only you and I can do." He winked at Ciel. "It'll be our special dance. One that Lizzy doesn't know about."

Blue eyes lit up at the words and Ciel nodded happily. "'Kay!" He chirped and gazed up at Sebastian, ready and waiting.

Sebastian grasped Ciel's hands and drew him close. "Step lightly on my feet and I'll dance for us both," he said and winced as Ciel squished his toes. The mantra of loans ran through his head until the pain ebbed away and Sebastian let out a shaky sigh. "Right, and now we start to dance."

He started to move slowly, making sure he could move properly with Ciel standing on his feet and that he wasn't going to make a fool of himself by moving further onto the dance floor. It was awkward at first and Sebastian found himself stumbling several times before he was able to find a rhythm that worked for him. Once he found it, Sebastian was able to loosen his grip on Ciel's hand and move more fluidly.

They drew several curious eyes as they danced around the floor but more often than not, the gazes were that of joy and happiness. It pleased everyone to see that the two children were able to enjoy themselves this time around after the disastrous Christmas party. Sebastian was a blessing and everyone silently cheered him on, encouraging him even though his face was lined with exhaustion.

But bright blue eyes that shone with happiness pushed Sebastian on as they continued to dance along with the other couples. It made Ciel feel more grown up, as though he was fitting in with the rest of the crowd and for the young child that was enough for him. Ciel always strove to be more mature than his age, but there were times when he slipped and acted his real age.

This way though, Ciel could have both sides of the coin. By dancing with Sebastian and everyone else, he was able to act mature, but by dancing on Sebastian's feet, he was still able to act like the child he was. It was a perfect balance and everyone in the room silently congratulated Sebastian for pulling off such a task.

"Do you mind if I cut in?" Rachel asked as they passed by her and she held out her hand to Ciel.

Sebastian glanced at Ciel, who gazed back at him with unsure eyes. Questions raced through them, wondering if Sebastian would still dance with him when he was done and Sebastian ruffled Ciel's hair lightly. "I'll dance with you again," he reassured the younger male. "I need to use the restroom anyway."

Ciel nodded and hopped off Sebastian's toes, making Sebastian sigh in relief and wiggle them in his shoes before making his way to the hallway. It was cooler outside and he shivered as he made his way to the bathroom. Toes tingled as blood worked its way through his feet once more but the feeling was ignored as Sebastian continued to walk.

He enjoyed being back at the manor and taking care of Ciel, even though the child could be a brat at times. But they had their good times together and Ciel always seemed to know when he was getting ready to push Sebastian over the edge. The child would lay low after that in order to give Sebastian time to himself but once things had calmed down, then the games started up once more.

They played off each other wonderfully and Sebastian could enjoy the maturity that Ciel would show at times. He was smart for his age and while it was a double edge sword, it was something Sebastian liked about the child. It seemed sad to believe that Ciel was his closest friend right now.

Sebastian's steps faltered and he stopped to look outside the windows. The snow outside was littered with footprints and snow forts from earlier that day when he had played 'snow fight' with Ciel and Elizabeth. The two had teamed up to fight against him and in the end, had ended up beating him. For his loss, a snowball had been shoved down his shirt.

But it was the most fun Sebastian had had since returning to the manor and he didn't wish to take any of it back. Sebastian sighed and glanced at his phone, noting that there was still an hour to go before the clock struck midnight. It made him wonder what his friend was doing now. Probably partying and getting drunk, along with every other college student out there.

It seemed unfair to have a fight on the holidays and under any normal circumstance, Sebastian wouldn't have been caught dead at the manor during the holidays. All year long, Sebastian had been looking forward to the break so he could get two weeks away from Ciel. He figured it would be good for his sanity but not even a few days into his break, Sebastian had found himself at back at the manor.

Fate was cruel and interesting that way.

Sebastian ran a hand over his face and let out another sigh in the silence of the hallway. When had life become so complicated? When had everything turned around and upside down, leaving him to question everything and to put up barriers that had never existed before? When had he stopped trusting?

"Sebastian?" A soft voice called next to him.

Sebastian looked down at Ciel who gazed up at him with cautious eyes and a small hand reached up to tug at his clothes. "I'm sorry, Ciel. I was on my way back." He leaned down to pick up the child and propped Ciel on his hip, ignoring the voice that called him very fatherly right now. "Shall we have another dance?"

Ciel shook his head and reached forward to touch Sebastian's cheeks. "You're going to break," he said seriously.

Crimson eyes blinked. "What do you mean break?" He asked.

"You're sad," Ciel answered. "Like you're going to start crying and you feel helpless."

Sebastian laughed loudly to hide the uneasiness that had crept in his body. If Ciel could see that, than who else could see what was written plainly on his face. "What makes you think that?" He asked.

Ciel stared at him, blue eyes serious as he spoke. "Because I looked like that before you came to me. I had no friends and no one who cared about me. I felt lost and alone; like I was going to break." Ciel traced a bag under Sebastian's eye. "You look like I did. And I hated feeling that way."

"Oh Ciel," Sebastian murmured. "You're far too wise for your age and no one should have to worry about that right now. You should be having fun and enjoying life while you can."

A small smile was given to Sebastian. "Mommy says that a child can be either the kindest, wisest, or meanest person out of all the ages. I want to be the wisest."

"You are wise, Ciel," Sebastian answered, tapping the child on his nose. "Now how about we go back to the party and enjoy the last minutes of the year."

Ciel shook his head. "We can't. I have a present to give you first," he stated and looked down at his fingers. "I wanted to give them to you on Christmas but I was so excited at seeing you here that I forgot."

Sebastian chuckled. "Very well, we'll open them now. Where are they?"

"Under the tree in the living room. I put them there this afternoon while you were taking a nap," Ciel said, his eyes dancing with humor at the thought of Sebastian, a grown man, taking a nap. "You were snoring really loud too. I wanted to put a candy in your mouth but mommy said that you could've died that way."

"Your mother is very wise," Sebastian said flatly and unamused. He rather liked waking up alive and well, thank you very much.

They moved into the living room where two small gifts rested under the tree and Ciel wiggled, asking silently to be set down. Once on the floor, he pulled the presents out from under the tree and handed them to Sebastian before sitting next to him. "Open them now," he said excitedly. "But this one first, cause the second one is the best."

Sebastian chuckled and slipped his finger under the tape, breaking the seal so he could unwrap the present. He made sure to unwrap it slowly and with each second that ticked by, Ciel grew more impatient and fidgety. If there was one thing Sebastian enjoyed doing, it was teasing Ciel and this was his way to get back at the younger male for almost killing him that afternoon.

"Open it already Sebastian!" Ciel finally cried and jumped to his feet on the couch.

Rolling his eyes, Sebastian finally tore into the paper as Ciel leaned heavily against him, watching over his shoulder. He slowed down as his fingers brushed against something soft and the paper was carefully removed. It was tossed aside and Sebastian was left with a black plush cat that gazed up at him with gazed eyes.

Ciel shifted behind him. "Cause you always pout about not having a kitty, so I bought one for you. One that you can have without making me sneeze," he added. "And now Bitter Rabbit has a friend too and we can all play together."

"Thank you Ciel," Sebastian answered and squeezed the child's hand, letting him know how much he appreciated the gift. It was thoughtful and the cat was cute. It would have to do until Sebastian was able to get his own kitten. "Should I open the next one now, or wait until later?"

"Now!" Ciel cried and handed the gift to Sebastian. "I made this one," he said in a quieter tone.

Sebastian nodded and carefully opened it, not wanting to damage the gift. It didn't take long before the paper was removed and Sebastian was left with a picture frame made out of Popsicle sticks, each one carefully painted with a color. The colors were thrown together randomly without any sense of pattern and the lines were crooked, meaning the frame would sit wobbly on any flat surface but it was the thought that counted. And Sebastian found himself smiling at small present.

"The sticks are from the summer," Ciel explained. "Each one was from when we went to the park and you bought me a treat. I kept them all and painted them when you were away during class. And sometimes I would glue them together when I was supposed to be taking a nap, 'cause I wanted to finish it in time for Christmas. Do you like it?" He asked quietly

"I like this one the best," Sebastian said honestly. Because it was something special that Ciel had put thought and time into. It was something that was special between the two of them and Sebastian could treasure it because of that. "Thank you, Ciel. I'll put it on my desk where I'll be able to see it every day."

Ciel beamed at the words and tossed his arms around Sebastian's neck. "I'm glad you liked them, Sebastian," he murmured.

"I like them very much," Sebastian answered and set the gifts off to the side so they wouldn't be damaged. "Look, it's almost midnight. Should we head back so we can celebrate with everyone else?"

Ciel shook his head. "I'll celebrate it with you first and then everyone else."

Sebastian chuckled softly and stood up, collecting Ciel in his arms. "Then I think we should head upstairs so we can see the fireworks better." He made his way towards the stairs and climbed them quickly so they could reach the balcony on time. He paused briefly to grab a blanket for Ciel so the younger child wouldn't catch a cold before wrapping Ciel tightly.

Once done, the door was pushed open to the balcony and they stepped outside. White puffs of breath escaped their mouths as they waited patiently and Sebastian shifted Ciel closer so the child could stay warmer. They would go back inside at the first sign Ciel was cold but with midnight only a few seconds away, they wouldn't have to wait long for the show to start.

"Count down, Sebastian," Ciel whispered, his arms wrapped tightly around Sebastian's neck.

"5…4…3…2…," Sebastian paused and glanced at the sliver of the moon before finally murmuring 'one.'

The scream of a firework filled the night before it burst in the sky, sending colors across the dark sky. More joined the first one as the sky lit up with colors that burned brightly before dying just as quickly. They were replaced by new life though and the process repeated several times, the colors reflecting brilliantly in their eyes.

Despite the loud noise that the fireworks brought with them, there was a sense of peace that came from watching them and Ciel rested his head against Sebastian, content to watch them silently. No words had to be spoken to express how pretty the explosions were or how graceful they looked as they fell back to the earth like fallen stars. Sometimes words weren't needed to express such things.

"Happy New Year, Sebastian," Ciel breathed as the finale started.

"Happy New Year, Ciel," Sebastian answered just as softly as the colors once more lit up the night sky, allowing them to bring in the new year together.


	6. Valentine's Day Special

**A/N**: Happy (early) Valentine's Day! I have my reasons for posting this early haha XD I somewhat struggled with this chapter and I'm not too happy with the way it came out -_- But I hope everyone enjoys it! ^^

**Warnings**: Fluff, made up words XD

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Kuroshitsuji

**Valentine's Day Special**

The mass of people at the specialty chocolate store was annoying, they seemed to push and surge in waves while shouting their orders at each other as they waited in line. Other people floated near the back, looking over the menu and trying to decide what would be best to order for that special person in their life.

Annoying yes, but they were no were near as annoying as the tight arms that circled around Sebastian's neck, threatening to choke him.

It was Ciel who had wanted to visit the store, wanting to surprise his mother with a box of chocolates and it was with a great sigh that Sebastian had caved to the blue puppy eyes. Dangerous things, those baby blue eyes. They put the devil's silver tongue to shame, hands down.

The ride had been frustrating, to Sebastian at least. Ciel had to touch everything in his car, from the buttons on the door that controlled the windows and locks, to the radio. Two of Sebastian's radio stations had been changed and Ciel had complained loudly that Sebastian didn't have any good music to listen to. And then demanded that they stop by the store to pick up a CD of kids songs.

Sebastian had flat out refused that request and had instead turned the radio to the classical station. The sounds of the piano and violin had filled the car and Ciel settled down, listening to it without complaint. The rest of the ride passed in silence, with Ciel drifting off and Sebastian had his revenge when Ciel's head tilted to the side, smacking against the glass.

Ciel, for his part didn't scream or cry, and chose instead to pretend as though it didn't happen while Sebastian chuckled in the driver's seat. They made it to the store without any more problems and once there, Sebastian had surprised himself by executing a perfect parallel parking job. One that had him taking a picture of the parked car while Ciel yelled at him to hurry up.

The picture had earned him many compliments and words of congratulations on Facebook.

But the moment they stepped into the store, they realized exactly how crowded the place was. Ciel had clutched his leg as people pressed against them and at one point, was almost snatched away by a woman who thought he looked adorable. After that, Sebastian had scooped Ciel into his arms where he knew no one would be able to take him.

With the child pressed close to his side, Ciel had decided to further cement the fact that he didn't want to leave by wrapping his arms tightly around Sebastian's neck. The action had earned the attention of several women who crowded around them as they waited, wanting to talk with Ciel. But Ciel boldly declared that his mother was the only girl for him and that all the other females had cooties before burying his face into Sebastian's neck.

It had been humorous at the time and they were left alone after that, even though Sebastian could still feel their heavy gaze on his body even now, but now the suffocating arms were just down right…suffocating.

"Ciel," Sebastian gasped. "I can't breathe."

"Oh," Ciel said and loosened his arms slightly. "I didn't know that, I'm sorry."

Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief at the action and shifted his grip on Ciel as they moved closer to the counter. "Do you know what you want to get for your mother?" He asked.

Ciel shook his head. "Daddy always gets her roses and other nice things. I think flowers are silly though so I want to get her something else. And everything else costs too much."

"What about your father?" He questioned. "Don't you think you should get him some chocolates too?"

"Daddy is a boy though. I thought you only gave Valentine chocolates to girls. Besides, I made him something else."

Sebastian chuckled. "Your mother gives you chocolates on Valentine's Day, doesn't she?" He asked and watched as Ciel nodded slowly. "And you're not a girl."

Ciel's eyebrows furrowed. "You mean I can give chocolates to anyone?"

"Maybe not anyone, but there's nothing wrong with giving them to your family and friends," Sebastian answered. "People like it when they get gifts on the holidays. It makes them feel happy."

"Even you?" Ciel asked, glancing up at him as they took another step closer to the counter.

Sebastian chuckled and shifted Ciel on his hip, trying to ignore the niggling feeling that he looked like a parent. "Have you decided what kind of chocolate you're going to get your mother?" He questioned, changing the subject. They would be placing their order soon and Sebastian didn't want to be responsible for backing up the line even more.

Ciel shook his head and Sebastian reached for a pamphlet so they could look over everything that was offered. He wasn't sure what Ciel's price range was but he was guessing that it wasn't a large amount. And knowing Sebastian's luck, Ciel would pick something expensive and Sebastian would have to offset the difference.

The menu was held up for Ciel to look at and a small hand gripped the other side of the menu, holding it so they could both look over it. Sebastian felt Ciel's grip tighten around his neck again as the child looked at the prices and Sebastian had an odd feeling in his stomach that Ciel was about to cry. The prices were too much for Ciel to afford with the small amount of money his parents gave him.

After all, he was only six and there was no need to give a child more than a few dollars a week. It taught him the value of money and how important it was to save if you wanted something.

But Ciel had really been looking forward to getting something nice for his mother, specifically from this shop, as it was the best in town. And as Ciel had declared before leaving. 'Nothing is too good for my mommy. She's the best mommy ever and deserves the best chocolate.' It was endearing in a way and Sebastian could only smile.

Now though, Ciel was seeing his dream of getting something nice for his mother falling down around him and the smallest of sniffs alerted Sebastian that the child wasn't happy about it.

"Which one do you like the best?" He asked quickly.

A little finger pointed at a box of chocolates that was pictured near the bottom of the menu. Nestled inside the box were a dozen chocolate roses, delicately painted with a coating of white chocolate that had been dyed red to give it the look of a rose petal. "Daddy gets mommy flowers every year and she always likes them. So I thought it would be nice to get her chocolate ones too." Ciel sniffed.

Sebastian balked at the price, knowing that Ciel didn't have that much and quickly searched for something else the child could afford. But there were no other chocolate roses on the menu and Sebastian knew that the roses were what Ciel had his heart set on. "Why don't we ask if they can make half a dozen for you instead of a dozen," he suggested. "That way, there's only six. And since you're six now, it'll be a good way for your mom to remember them even more."

Tearful eyes looked up at Sebastian and he was rewarded with a bright smile from Ciel. "Yeah!" Ciel said excitedly before he sobered slightly. "Do you think she'll like it if there's only six?" He asked.

Sebastian nodded. "I'm sure she'll love it," he reassured Ciel as they stepped up to the counter.

He watched as the woman's eyes darted over him, then Ciel, and then back to him before a smile spread across her face, one that seemed to reach her eyes. "Hello, what can I get for you today?"

"Some chocolates for my mommy!" Ciel chirped and Sebastian watched as the woman practically melted at his words.

"That's so sweet," she cooed and gestured to the menu. "What are you looking at?"

Sebastian cleared his throat. "He's interested in your chocolate roses but lacks the financial means for a full bouquet so he was hoping that you might be able to make half a dozen instead."

The woman's mouth formed a small 'O' as understanding flickered across her face. She pondered the question for a moment before nodding slowly. "I don't see why we can't do that. It's a wonderful idea actually."

Sebastian heaved a sigh of relief, pleased that they would be able to handle Ciel's request. He had been worried that the store would be strict on their policies and turn the idea down. "How much do you think that would cost?" He asked. Although even if the price was cut in half, Ciel still wouldn't be able to afford it.

"We would probably cut the price in half, since it's half the amount of roses," the woman answered confirming Sebastian's thoughts. "Will he be able to afford that?" She asked softly.

"Ciel," Sebastian murmured and shifted the child again. "How much money do you have saved up?"

Blue eyes crossed in concentration as Ciel mentally counted the money in his head. "Ten dollars!" He said proudly and beamed at the woman. "I saved up a lot to get mommy this present. Can I pay for it now, Sebastian?"

"Let's see," Sebastian said and reached into his pocket for Ciel's wallet. "Why don't you tell the nice lady why you want six roses instead of twelve," he suggested.

Ciel smiled widely and immediately launched into his story, telling the woman that because he was six now, it would be better to give his mother six roses compared to twelve because they were the same number.

With Ciel's attention diverted, Sebastian quickly pulled out his wallet and pulled out a few bills to help cover the cost of the chocolates. They were slipped into Ciel's wallet and by the time Ciel was done with his story, Sebastian's wallet was tucked away with Ciel none the wiser. "Here we go, Ciel," he said and passed the object into Ciel's hand. "Let's see if you have enough."

"Kay," Ciel chirped and opened the wallet. Small fingers pulled out the bills and held them out to the woman proudly.

She smiled at him and silently counted the money behind the register so Ciel couldn't see that there were new bills in the mix before smiling at him. "You have just enough," she said happily and gave a quick wink to Sebastian. "Would you like us to make a card to go with the chocolates too?"

Ciel shook his head. "I already made one for my mommy." He paused and wiggled in Sebastian's arms, wanting to get closer to the counter. He stretched forward and beckoned the woman closer before pushing Sebastian's head away. "But can you make one for Sebastian? He's the bestest babysitter in the whole world. But don't tell him cause it's a surprise," he whispered.

"I won't tell him, I promise," she answered in a soft whisper and they pulled away. "Your order will be done on the thirteenth and you can pick it up at any time."

Sebastian nodded and gave a small smile. "Thank you for doing this," he said lowly. He jostled his arm, jerking Ciel slightly. "What do you say?"

"Thank you!" Ciel said loudly, a wide smile on his face. He attempted to give a wink but only ended up squinting both eyes shut and the gesture was quickly dismissed as being too hard. Instead, Ciel settled with a large smile and a wave as Sebastian thanked the woman again before moving away from the counter.

They weaved through the crowd and Sebastian heaved a sigh of relief once they stepped outside. He could finally breathe and relax now that they were out of the suffocating shop, and the only thing he wanted to do was take a nap when they returned home. "Let's head on back. Dinner will be ready soon and I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

Ciel nodded and waited for Sebastian to open the door before climbing into the seat. He was buckled in and Ciel bounced excitedly in the seat as Sebastian walked around the front of the car. He was happy that he had something to give his mommy and couldn't wait to see her face. The smile slipped from Ciel's lips though as Sebastian climbed into the car and he turned to look at the older male.

"Did you want chocolates too, Sebastian?" He asked, realizing that he didn't get anything for Sebastian except for a card.

Sebastian smiled and ruffled Ciel's hair. "You don't have to get me anything, Ciel," he said. "Don't worry about it."

Ciel frowned as they started moving and Sebastian concentrated on driving. He felt bad that Sebastian wouldn't get anything. Didn't Sebastian say that gifts made anyone happy? A sense of panic rushed over Ciel as he stared straight ahead. He had chocolates for his mommy and had made a pencil holder out of toilet paper rolls for his father with the help of Sebastian. But there was no gift for his babysitter.

Sebastian glanced at Ciel as he grew aware of the silence in the car. "What's the matter, Ciel?" He asked, wondering why Ciel was so quiet.

The child shook his head. "Nothing," he whispered, not wanting to let Sebastian know that he didn't have anything for him. Instead, he sighed and leaned against the window, watching as the scenery flashed by until the familiar estates rolled by and Ciel could see the house in the distance. He was quiet as Sebastian pulled up the drive and parked the car near the side of the house where it was out of the way before turning off the car. "You won't tell mommy will you?" He asked as Sebastian climbed out of the car.

Sebastian circled around the car and opened the door. "Of course not," he answered, lifting Ciel out of the car. The door was slammed shut and the car locked as they made their way back to the house. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Good," Ciel murmured as they entered the house. He squirmed to be let down as soon as they were inside and the moment his feet touched the ground, bolted off to his room.

Crimson eyes watched him go and Sebastian ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know what had come over Ciel on the way back but something had clearly upset him. Groaning, Sebastian rubbed his eyes and slowly made his way up the steps wondering if it would be worth the effort to see what was bothering Ciel.

He padded down the hallway and glanced at Ciel's room, noting that the door was closed. Sebastian sighed and waved a hand at it, dismissing the child as he headed back to his own room. Homework needed to be done and if Ciel's door was shut, then there was no way Ciel would talk to him. Perhaps once dinner was done, Ciel would be in a more talkative mood.

**Valentine's Day Special**

Inside his room, Ciel knelt before the box of toys in a desperate attempt to find something to give Sebastian. Ciel knew he couldn't afford to buy chocolates for Sebastian and it didn't seem fair to give Sebastian just a card. Not when Ciel was giving something bigger to his parents. Sebastian was his best friend and spent almost every day with him. He deserved something special.

A model horse was picked up and for a moment, Ciel considered it before shaking his head. Sebastian wouldn't want that. But what would Sebastian want? Candy would be the ideal gift because you couldn't go wrong with that but that choice wasn't left anymore. All the Halloween candy from last year was gone and it was too early for Easter.

Ciel sat back on his heels and looked at the box that rested before him. There was nothing in here that Sebastian would like and Ciel was just wasting his time this way. He stood up and paced back to the bed, flopping down on the plush surface. Bitter Rabbit bounced next to him and Ciel reached for the plush rabbit.

"What should I do?" He asked the rabbit, looking at the button eyes. They gazed back at him and Ciel clutched the animal tightly. It wasn't fair. Sebastian did so much for him and was always there. The past months had been the best in Ciel's life and all Ciel had done so far was give the man a kitty plush and a picture frame made out of popsicles.

Sebastian loved the kitty plush, Ciel knew that much. Her name was Soot and she often played with Bitter Rabbit in the afternoons in front of the fireplace. Ciel kept her company when Sebastian was at school and often times, she was propped against the rabbit in his room. Today, Soot was in Sebastian's room since it was the weekend and Sebastian didn't have school, but come Monday, she would find her way to Ciel's room.

Ciel huffed and rolled onto his back, placing the rabbit on his chest. "It's not fair," he muttered and closed his eyes. The plush animal was a comforting weight on his chest and Ciel absently brushed his fingers over the soft fur. His eyes opened and settled on the rabbit. "No," he whispered and his fingers tightened slightly on the animal.

You were supposed to give special gifts to the people you cared about, otherwise they had no meaning. But Ciel's most prized possession, the thing that was so special to him was Bitter Rabbit. If he gave that to Sebastian, then Ciel wouldn't have anything left.

But it would be something wonderful to give Sebastian.

But it was Bitter Rabbit.

Ciel shook his head and his teeth worried his lower lip. He was being greedy and it wasn't fair. Sebastian was never greedy. Ciel knew that Sebastian had a life outside of watching him but was often giving up that time in order to keep Ciel company. Was Ciel so mean that he couldn't give up something special as well?

He shook his head and clutched the rabbit tighter. Tomorrow was the day before Valentine's Day and after that, Ciel would give Bitter Rabbit to Sebastian. It was only fair and it would be the best present Ciel could give Sebastian. A stray tear leaked out from blue eyes and Ciel rolled over onto his side, sniffing slightly.

It wouldn't be easy to let go of the rabbit, but for Sebastian, Ciel could do it. He would do it. Because Sebastian was special. No, he was more than special; he was something better than special. There was probably a word for it, but Ciel wasn't sure what it was right now and would have to ask someone later on.

For now though, Ciel would enjoy the last few days with Bitter Rabbit until he gave him to Sebastian. It wasn't as though Ciel wouldn't see him either and Sebastian would probably let him play with the bunny so it wouldn't be all that bad.

"Sebastian will take good care of you," Ciel murmured to the rabbit and straightened out the small vest. "And we'll still be able to see each other, so it's not like its goodbye forever," he whispered, trying to reassure the plush. Things would work out in the end and even though Ciel would miss the bunny, he wanted to make Sebastian happy no matter what.

**Valentine's Day Special**

Sebastian nursed a cup of hot coffee Tuesday morning as he looked over a list of Spanish words. He had a quiz today in Spanish class and was silently cursing all the conjugation that he had to memorize. Who said it was a good idea to take a foreign language first thing in the morning? The cook was sending him a sympathetic look every now and then as the eggs were cooking and Sebastian pointedly ignored him.

Rachel and Vincent were home today, which meant Sebastian had a day off. Or as much of a day off as one could have with Ciel. The child was demanding and a small part of Sebastian wondered how long it would take before Ciel discarded him or grew too old for him. It would be at least another year or so before that happened and Sebastian grunted softly to himself.

On the one hand, it meant that Sebastian would have a job at least for the next year or so. But on the other hand, it meant that Sebastian was stuck with Ciel. It was a double edge sword that one, because Ciel had the power to drive Sebastian up the wall some days. But then other days, Ciel was an angel and Sebastian could stand him.

Ciel was considerably better now than when they had first met and Sebastian could even say that Ciel was growing on him. It seemed almost silly to think, considering how much Ciel had tortured him in the first weeks of the job but now they seemed to have a mutual respect for each other. Sebastian had even left a small bag of Valentine's candy on Ciel's nightstand table this morning.

He almost laughed when he thought about it, that it had come down to giving the child gifts when months ago, Sebastian had been ready to quit. Perhaps Ciel was truly worming his way into his heart.

The cup was set down and Sebastian gathered his papers, shoving them in his bag. "Have a good day, Bard," he murmured and hoisted his bag to his shoulder. "I'll see you this afternoon."

"Good luck on your quiz, Sebastian," the man said and held out his hand, offering a foil wrapped taco. "Make sure you eat. You'll need your strength for this afternoon. Ciel will be on a sugar rush by then."

Sebastian chuckled and accepted the breakfast with a smile. "And I'm sure you'll be watching me suffer from the kitchen, laughing at me and thanking your lucky stars you don't have to deal with him."

Bard smirked and poured a cup of coffee for himself. "How right you are."

Sebastian waved a hand, brushing the comment aside before heading to the side door. Puffs of white left his mouth as he stepped outside and slid into the cold car. The engine started with a soft purr and Sebastian turned the heat on, all the while reciting the conjugations to the verbs in his head.

**Valentine's Day Special**

Sebastian heaved a heavy sigh as he climbed up the steps leading to the large house. It had been a long day and Sebastian was determined to be in bed before ten tonight. Although he said that nearly every night and each night, ten rolled around with Sebastian still awake and working on the computer. The faint bags under his eyes told that he wasn't getting enough sleep and he vowed to get enough sleep tonight.

The door opened and Sebastian walked into the warm house, letting his bag slip from his shoulders. The door shut behind him and the bag was dropped to the floor, Sebastian silently counting down in his head. Ciel knew his daily schedule down to the 'T' and had memorized when Sebastian came home. Sure enough, the moment Sebastian hit one in his mental countdown; he was attacked as small arms tossed themselves around his waist.

"Sebastian!" Ciel called, slightly louder than usual and gave Sebastian the first hint that Ciel was on a sugar rush. "Mommy bought me a little Valentine's cake and I had it for dessert after lunch. It was so good!"

Sebastian groaned and ran a hand over his face, knowing that twelve dollars an hour wasn't going to be enough today. "How much candy have you had today, Ciel?" He asked, feeling the child tug at his arm in a silent plea for a piggyback ride.

Ciel giggled. "A lot," he admitted with a wide smile. "But I'm saving your candy for later 'cause they made me the happiest." He beamed, looking proud of himself before tugging at Sebastian's arm when he realized the man wasn't going to give him a piggyback ride.

"That's nice," Sebastian murmured and let himself be tugged forward. It was oddly quiet in the house and Sebastian wondered if Rachel and Vincent were hiding away somewhere to avoid Ciel's sugar rush. "Where are your parents?"

"They went out for an early dinner," Ciel said as they walked into his room. He plopped on the bed and patted the spot next to him. "I have a gift for you too," he chirped, looking pleased with himself.

Sebastian cocked his head and settled next to Ciel. "You didn't have to get me anything," he murmured.

Ciel shook his head. "But you don't have anyone else to give you a gift," he stated. "You don't have parents and you said you don't have a special person in your life yet," he said innocently.

"Thanks for reminding me," Sebastian said flatly, feeling his eyebrow twitch in annoyance. Not so much at the parent part, he had come to terms with that a long time ago, but for reminding him that his love life was rather nonexistent at the moment. He watched as Ciel squirmed on the bed and Sebastian cocked his head slightly, wondering what was going through Ciel's mind.

Ciel beamed and reached for card that sat on the bed. "I asked the lady from the chocolate store to make a card for you, cause she has prettier writing than me." It was placed in Sebastian's hand. "She was really nice yesterday when daddy and I went to go pick up the gift."

Sebastian's eyes darted over the calligraphy, taking in the words that flowed across the page. "To Sebastian, thank you for being the world's bestest babysitter. Happy Valentine's Day." He read aloud, finding some humor in the words. No doubt, Ciel had inspired the card and instead of saying something polite and formal, the woman had made the card more personal by adding a Ciel touch.

"It's very sweet of you to do this for me, Ciel," Sebastian said and carefully set the card aside. He had a box that he was keeping all the things Ciel gave him so he could look back at them years from now and laugh. "Thank you very much."

Ciel fidgeted on the bed and looked down at his hands, his excitement suddenly fading. "And there's one more gift. Because I didn't want to give you just a card when you give me everything." He shifted back on the bed and grabbed the plush rabbit, feeling tears spring to his eyes. Ciel shook his head and moved back to sit next to Sebastian telling himself that he could do this. "This is for you too," he said bravely, pushing Bitter Rabbit into Sebastian's hands.

Sebastian stared at the plush and then looked up at Ciel. "Oh Ciel, I can't accept this," he said softly and gently handed the rabbit back to Ciel. "I can't take this from you."

"But I didn't get you anything else," Ciel cried, tears streaming down his face now. He thought he was ready to give up the plush but now that the time had come, Ciel found that he wasn't ready to part with it after all.

"Ciel," Sebastian murmured and brushed away the falling tears. "I don't need anything else, the card is enough."

Ciel shook his head. "But you're supposed to get something nice for the special people in your life," he wailed.

Sebastian hummed. "You know what I would rather have?" He asked and Ciel's sobs subsided to soft sniffles along with an occasional hiccup. "I would rather have a card that you made. You can draw Bitter Rabbit for me and when you give the card to me, I'll have my own Bitter Rabbit." He mentally patted himself on the back, proud of the idea and how quickly he thought of it.

Small hands wiped at the blue eyes and Ciel sniffed again. "You want me to make you a card?" He asked, looking up at Sebastian. "You would be happy with that even though it's not chocolate or a toy?"

"I would be very happy with a card," Sebastian answered and ran his fingers through Ciel's hair. "But thank you for thinking about me that way. It makes me very happy to know that you were willing to give me something so precious."

Ciel smiled and caught Sebastian's hand before giving it a small tug. "I'll go make it right now!" He said happily. "I'll draw you all my favorite memories on there too, 'cause they make me the happiest."

Sebastian stood up and hoisted Ciel into the air, making the child squeal with delight and all previous tears were forgotten. "What memories are those?" He asked, tucking Ciel under his arm and carrying him like a bag.

Ciel giggled loudly and wiggled against Sebastian. "I'll draw you with a bow on your head from Christmas when you were my present. And New Year's too! When we danced together," he paused and furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "What else?" He murmured softly.

A small chuckle left Sebastian's mouth. "I'm sure whatever you end up drawing, I'll like it. And then once you're done, we'll go play with Soot and Bitter Rabbit. I think they want to have their own Valentine's Day too."

"Yes!" Ciel said excitedly. "Maybe we can make cards for them and that way they can exchange them too."

Sebastian smiled. "Sounds like a good idea to me," he answered.

It wasn't the ideal way to be spending Valentine's Day and Sebastian would've preferred to spend it with someone special (provided he even had a special person in his life). But if he thought about it, in its ways, Ciel was someone special to him. Maybe not special in the sense of a lover, but Ciel still had a place in Sebastian's heart. It wasn't the same, but it was better than spending the day alone.

Sebastian chuckled and mentally shook his head at the thoughts. He needed a vacation.


	7. Halloween Special

**A/N**: An update! I planned this for Halloween but never finished it on time and had keep pushing it back until recently. I'm sorry to go so long without updating this story but I hope everyone enjoys the new chapter ^^

**Warnings**: A curse word or two

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Kuroshitsuji

* * *

><p>Dusk settled across the skyline, the sinking sun casting long shadows on everything that its dying light touched. Already, the trees were naked or slowly becoming naked as the fall passed into winter and the days became shorter.<p>

The air outside was crisp, cold enough to need a light jacket during the evenings but not cold enough to stop the mass of children from running around tonight. They were all dressed up for the sacred tradition of begging for free candy in hopes that they could get more than their friends could.

Their loud screams of delight filled the air as Sebastian walked down the sidewalk, his small charge walking right beside him. What had started out as a summer job had turned into a full time job and now had Sebastian working well past the months of summer and into October.

"Still not worth twelve dollars an hour," he grumbled and turned to look at the young boy next to him.

Ciel decided to dress up as a pirate for Halloween, complete with an eye path and a hat with a feather. Sebastian would know what the outfit looked like. He had helped pick it out and add the needed parts that didn't come with the costume to begin with.

Such as the feather. Ciel had been adamant about it, and they went to three different stores before finding the correct feather to go with the hat. They did this of course in September when the stores had boasted all their costumes a month early.

And as Sebastian's luck would turn out, the feather that had caused him so much trouble a month ago wasn't the feather Ciel wanted today. It resulted in a last minute run to the store on his way back from class so he could pick out another feather.

Luckily, this one suited Ciel just fine and they adverted that crisis.

"This house next," Ciel stated next to him, puling Sebastian's mind away from the evil feather. It still sat perched on Ciel's hat and it would be so simple to snatch it away, laughing maniacally all the way.

Ah sweet dreams are made of these.

"Fine," Sebastian answered and followed Ciel as they walked up the driveway. He rang the doorbell for Ciel, who was still too short to ring the bell himself.

The door opened quickly and an older woman beamed down at Ciel. Her eyes twinkled at his costume and she reached for her bowl of candy.

"Trick or treat," Ciel said seriously, holding out his bag for the woman to fill.

"Aren't you a cute one," she cooed and dropped a few pieces of candy in Ciel's bag. She turned to Sebastian. "And it's so sweet that your older brother dressed up to come with you. Would you like some candy as well, hun?"

"He's not my brother," Ciel answered.

The woman gave him an odd look before turning to Sebastian again, as though asking what relationship he had with Ciel. Sebastian could just see the question in her eyes. _Did you kidnap this child or are you a pedophile?_

Ciel cleared his throat politely and gave Sebastian a pointed look. Sighing, Sebastian looked towards the woman with as much dignity as he could muster. "I'm not related to Master Ciel. I'm merely his butler and am bound to fulfill whatever my Master asks of me." He gave her a pleading look. _Please help me._

The woman's mouth opened slightly and then closed again, trying to find a way to answer or comment, but words seemed to fail her. "I see," she finally said. "Would your um, butler like some candy as well?"

Again, Ciel cleared his throat and Sebastian ground his teeth together before answering again. "I'm afraid that I have to decline. As a butler, I am unworthy of such a treat and can only take what my Master offers me." _Or better yet, shoot me; please. Put me out of my misery._

The woman seemed to sense his despair and offered him a sympathetic look. "I understand," she said and gave Ciel one last smile. "Have a wonderful night, you two." She gave Sebastian a look that simply said 'good luck.'

Sebastian gave a weak smile and tapped Ciel lightly with his bag. "What do you say?"

"Thank you," Ciel answered and gave a bright smile before they turned away.

Sebastian sighed heavily and trailed Ciel once more. A quick look at his watch showed that they had an hour left before Ciel's curfew started and they had to go back to the manor. He silently thanked Rachel for setting the curfew instead of letting Ciel stay out for as late as he wanted. Knowing Ciel, he would refuse to go back until the midnight hour struck.

He hoped that Ciel would want to call it quits earlier though and Sebastian looked over Ciel, judging him for any signs of weariness. They started trick or treating nearly two hours ago, a long time for a five year old. Surely, his feet hurt by now and his legs were tired. At least Sebastian hoped. Perhaps then, they could call it a night.

He still had homework to finish and while Ciel might have boundless energy at times, Sebastian couldn't say the same for his body. Ciel wore him down and school finished the job, zapping away the remaining energy that Ciel didn't take. It let him sleep soundly at night, but Sebastian's body still protested.

"Life bites," he muttered under his breath as they walked down another walkway.

Ciel glanced over his shoulder. "Hurry up, Sebastian," he called.

Sebastian grunted and quickly lengthened his stride so he could ring the doorbell for the impatient child. No one answered the door and Sebastian sighed heavily before trying one more time. Despite the lights that shone brightly inside, the house remained quiet and Sebastian turned to look at Ciel.

"Perhaps they're busy right now."

Ciel huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "They cheated me out of candy. We'll have to come back later."

"Maybe," Sebastian answered and eyed the décor around the porch. Whoever lived here had a thing for Halloween and went a little overboard in his opinion. Faux spider webs filled every corner and stretched out to entangle unsuspecting visitors. Next to the door, a stuffed grim reaper sat in a rocking chair and Sebastian didn't even want to think about the morbid thoughts that arose from that.

He didn't get to dwell on the thoughts for long as the grim reaper suddenly lunged forward, a bony hand wrapping around Ciel's thin wrist. Ciel screamed bloody murder and dropped his bag as he twisted in the tight grip. A real enough looking sickle appeared next to the being and before Ciel could even scream for Sebastian to save him, Sebastian's fist firmly planted itself against a painted face.

He scooped Ciel up and away from the person, feeling the child shake and tremble in his arms. Sebastian's heart raced with adrenaline and he tightened his grip on Ciel as the costumed person groaned, bringing a hand up to their cheek.

"What was that for?" they moaned.

"Do you really have to ask?" Sebastian snapped as the front door flew open, revealing a rather darkly dressed character and Sebastian glared at him.

"That was brilliant!" The man said and giggled behind his hand. "Best reaction I've seen all night."

A snort came from Sebastian's side and he turned his attention back to the person he punched. "You only say that because he didn't hit you." They rubbed their cheek and pulled off the hood, making bright red hair tumble free. "That was one hell of a right hook."

Sebastian glared at him. "Would you stop cursing in front of him?" he spat. The last thing he needed was for Ciel to notice the words and then repeat them around his mother. After tonight, Sebastian had no doubt that Rachel would give him grief for the scare.

The redhead pouted. "But it hurt. And you ruined my beautiful face."

"You'll live," Sebastian said flatly. He turned to the man in the doorway who had yet to stop laughing. "If you could just give us some candy, we'll be on our way."

Ciel sniffed in his shoulder. "I don't want any candy from here," he said quietly.

Sebastian nodded and adjusted his grip on Ciel. "Never mind. We'll be on our way. Have a good night."

The man in the doorway quickly waved his hands. "No, no. We frightened the child; at least let us make it up to you somehow."

"I'll have to decline," Sebastian said, determined not to set foot inside the house. Who knew what else lurked beyond the door. These two pranksters obviously had too much time on their hands. Scaring older children and teens was one thing, but scaring a five year old crossed the line in Sebastian's book. "We don't even know you."

"You can call me The Undertaker," the man said and he pointed to the redhead. "And that's Grell. We're both harmless. Usually." He gave them a toothy grin before giggling again.

Sebastian shook his head. "Telling me your name doesn't mean anything. The fact of the matter is that this little one," he nodded to Ciel. "Doesn't want to stay here any longer and I have to listen to him."

Grell moved closer. "How chivalrous. I like a man who protects the weak." He winked at him. "If you want, you can always drop the little pirate off and come back here so the adults can talk."

Ciel shifted against him and finally raised his head. He turned to look at Grell and a single cool eye glared at him. "Sebastian is my butler," he said harshly. "You can't have him. Ever."

Embarrassment flooded Sebastian's cheeks at the declaration but he didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything. Not after the scare Ciel had. Scolding him would only shake Ciel more and Sebastian didn't need that on his conscience. "We need to go," he said with as much dignity as he could muster after Ciel's exclamation.

Grell wiggled his fingers and blew a kiss at him. "You're always welcome to come back."

Sebastian flicked him off behind Ciel's back and turned to leave. A hand on his shoulder stopped him and Sebastian glared at The Undertaker. "Yes?"

"He dropped his bag earlier and I'm not one to take a child from their candy," he giggled. "I'm a dentist you see. Halloween is my favorite time of the year because of all the sweets. Remember to have his parents check through all his candy before he eats any."

Sebastian accepted the bag with a stiff 'thanks' and quickly descended the porch steps. Ciel clung tightly to his neck and didn't release his grip until they rounded a corner and the house vanished from their view. Even after that, Ciel still refused to leave the safety of Sebastian's arms and he sniffed quietly.

"Sebastian?"

He hummed and cocked his head to the child. "Hm?"

"That was weird," Ciel said seriously and fiddled with the collar of Sebastian's costume. "We're not going back there again."

Sebastian laughed despite himself. "My thoughts exactly." He shifted Ciel in his arms, readjusting his grip to look at his watch. "We only have time for one more house and then we have to head back. Your mother set a very strict curfew."

At the mention of Rachel, Ciel's hands tightened against the collar, pulling at it until Sebastian wheezed at the constricting feeling. "You're not going to tell mommy about tonight are you?" Sebastian pried his hands away so he could breathe properly. "She'll never let me go trick or treating again."

"I won't tell her," Sebastian reassured him quickly and held up his hand. "It'll be our little secret, right?"

Ciel curled his pinkie around Sebastian's and gave it a firm shake. "Right. Pinkie promise."

Sebastian nodded and let out a heavy sigh. He felt relieved though, knowing that Rachel wouldn't hear about the incident. Not that Sebastian could have prevented it but he had a feeling that Rachel wouldn't see it that way.

Silence settled around them as they walked through the decorated neighborhood, Ciel silently scanning the houses for his next choice. Children still ran throughout the streets, tugging their parents or guardians along with them and Sebastian wondered who else would fall victim to The Undertaker's prank. If Rachel wanted to go after anyone, it should be them. They were the ones who scared Ciel half to death. Sebastian considered himself lucky that Ciel didn't wet his pants.

Finally, Ciel pointed out a house that looked relatively safe. The children that left wore nothing but smiles and they laughed loudly in the cool night air. Sebastian nodded. "Do you want to walk or do you want me to keep carrying you?"

"Carry," Ciel said but tried to reach for the candy bag. "I'll hold this though."

Sebastian rolled his eyes as they walked up the neatly trimmed pathway. He shifted Ciel so he could ring the doorbell and they waited patiently for the door to open. It opened after a few seconds and an older man stood in the doorway, holding a bowl of candy. He peered at them from behind his glasses, a gentle smile on his face.

"Trick or treat," Ciel chirped and held out his bag.

The man smiled at them and dropped a few pieces into his bag. "Those are very creative costumes you two are wearing tonight." He looked at Sebastian. "It's nice to see you caring so much for your younger brother."

Ciel shook his head. "Sebastian isn't my brother." He grinned widely and Sebastian cringed, waiting for the embarrassing words. "He's my bestest friend in the whole world. He's really cool."

Sebastian blinked, not expecting the words. He didn't know where they came from as Ciel called him a butler for the majority of the night and had insisted on treating him as such. But the change of heart wasn't unwelcome and a warm feeling settled in his chest. Times like this made the job worthwhile and Sebastian gave Ciel a light squeeze.

"He looks like a good friend," the man said and slipped a few more pieces of candy into the bag. "You'll share that with him, won't you?"

Ciel beamed. "Of course," he said. "Thank you very much."

The man smiled and nodded at them, and Sebastian gave his own thanks before they walked away. Ciel waved one last time before slumping against Sebastian. "Tired?" Sebastian asked.

"Kinda," Ciel muttered and tried to hide a yawn behind his hand. "My feet hurt."

Sebastian chuckled but didn't comment on the statement. He knew he would hear those words at least once tonight. "Let's head on back then. It's time for you to get home anyway." He quickly located the car and unlocked it. Ciel wiggled against him and Sebastian set him down on the ground.

Ciel climbed inside the car and Sebastian set the bag of candy at his feet before clipping the seatbelt into place. Ciel eyed the candy with hunger in his eyes and Sebastian moved the bag behind his seat. Best not to tempt fate. If Ciel ate the candy now, he would never sleep tonight and Sebastian would have to deal with him.

He ignored Ciel's complaints as he slid into the car and started it. The engine purred under his fingers and Sebastian pulled away from his parking spot. The neighborhood Ciel lived in wasn't ideal for trick or treating and in order to give Ciel a decent Halloween, his parents usually took him to a nearby neighborhood that had plenty of kids. It worked out in the end, but it made more work for Sebastian.

"I wasn't going to eat any, honest," Ciel said.

Sebastian shook his head. "I know. But I just took the temptation away, that's all." He turned onto a road. "I'm sure your parents will want to look over the candy before you eat anything too. They gave me very strict instructions not to let you eat anything until they looked through it first."

Ciel pouted and glanced out the window. His fingers twirled around each other in his lap and he shifted every few seconds, his lips pursed in thought. Sebastian knew the look. Ciel used the look whenever he had to say something he didn't want to say. Or Ciel had to use the restroom. Sebastian hoped it was the former.

"Thank you for taking me trick or treating," Ciel finally said. His fidgeting continued and Sebastian waited patiently for him to continue. "And thank you for protecting me from that scary man."

"You're welcome," Sebastian answered. "Thank you for letting me come trick or treating with you."

Ciel smiled. "It was fun," he said and stroked the feather on his hat. "And I meant what I said earlier. About you being my bestest friend. You were really cool when you protected me."

Sebastian reached over to ruffle Ciel's hair. "That's what friends do," he said. "And I'm honored that I'm your best friend."

"Bestest," Ciel corrected.

"Bestest," Sebastian agreed and pulled into the driveway while Ciel beamed at him.

Funny how something so small could mean the world to Ciel and despite the humiliation tonight, Sebastian wouldn't take back anything. Even though he would never admit it aloud, Ciel wasn't always horrible and he had his good moments. It made the job worthwhile and those were the days that Sebastian cherished the most.

He helped Ciel out of the car and hefted him into his arms before Ciel could start complaining about his sore feet. Rachel waited for them at the doorway and she accepted her sleepy son from Sebastian, brushing his hair from his face.

"Did you have fun?" she asked.

Ciel nodded. "Sebastian was the best butler ever."

Rachel chuckled and balanced Ciel on her hip. "Let's get you upstairs and into the tub. You have school tomorrow." She turned to Sebastian. "And thank you, Sebastian, for taking him out tonight."

"We had fun," Sebastian answered and held up the bag. "Where do you want me to put this?"

"In the kitchen please. Bard will look through everything to make sure nothing is open."

Sebastian hummed and bid Ciel a good night before heading to the kitchen. The chef snorted with laughter when he entered the kitchen and Sebastian shook his head. "Don't say a word," he warned.

Bard clutched his sides. "I don't have to; your outfit says it all." His loud laughter echoed throughout the room and Sebastian rubbed his temples as he set the bag of candy on the counter. Slowly, the laughter tapered away and Bard looked at the bag. "Right, let's see what you two brought in this year. This is the first time Ciel went trick or treating without his parents."

Bard's lips twitched and Sebastian held up a finger, warning him not to continue his train of thoughts. "Just look through the candy so I can tell his mother that it's safe to eat. Not that he needs anymore sugar."

The candy clattered against the counter and Bard spread it out, whistling at the amount. "Probably not, but in the end, you're the one who has to deal with the extra sugar rush."

Sebastian shook his head. "The teachers do now. He's usually calmed down some by the time he comes back from school."

Bard looked up at him. "From what I hear, he gets really excited on the days you take him to school and pick him up. He bragged to me the other day how cool you were and how his friends all think you're amazing."

"Jealous?" Sebastian teased and snagged the candy he received at their last house. He nudged a small circular tube covered in tissue paper. "What is this?"

"Dunno," Bard murmured and lifted it up. "Looks like one of those gifts you hand out at birthday parties as party favors. Usually has a small toy or candy inside it."

Sebastian rolled his eyes and popped a piece of chocolate into his mouth. "Charming. More candy," he said. "Open it up."

Bard flicked him off but pulled the ribbon off the package and peeled back the wrapping paper. He shouted as small fake snakes shot out at him and he dropped the tube. A few choice curses left his mouth and he glared at the package before scowling at Sebastian. "Shut up."

"Call it revenge," Sebastian said in between laughs. He didn't remember anyone giving Ciel a treat like that but he had a pretty good idea where it came from. Only once was the bag of candy out of Sebastian's sight and in someone else's hands. The Undertaker played a clever game. Still, it didn't stop Sebastian from wanting to egg his house.

"I hate Halloween," Bard muttered as he tossed the gag gift into the trash and continued to look through the candy.

Sebastian simply snickered and stole another piece of chocolate.


	8. Birthday Special

A/N: Time to show this story some love, haha. When I first started writing this story, I had originally planned to add this character but then changed my mind halfway through because the story had gone in such a different way than I thought. Then **Rasa** mentioned it a while ago in a review and it kinda stuck with me until I finally cracked and wrote it, lol. So many thanks to Rasa for inspiring me to write this ^^ I hope y'all enjoy the chapter!

**Warnings**: None that I can think of, but I'll put a warning for **language** just in case I missed something, lol.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Kuroshitsuji

* * *

><p>The hallway stretched long before Sebastian and he moved slowly through it, checking each door handle. So far, all twelve knobs remained locked and he continued along his way. There were at least ten more to go and Sebastian made sure not to skip a single one. The result if he messed up would be less than ideal.<p>

He shuddered at the thought and tested another door. It didn't budge and he moved on. Downstairs, he could hear the rest of the staff running around and taking care of last minute preparations. Like him, they wanted everything to run as smoothly and efficiently as possible with the least amount of room for error.

And there was a large gap of error when dealing with over twenty screaming and hyper children.

Sebastian ground his teeth together and checked the next door. It turned under his hand and he brought the key from his pocket to secure the door in question. If a single door remained unlocked, it would spell disaster. Children were curious and an open door led to far more adventures than Sebastian could fathom.

It also led to far more damage than Sebastian wanted to face and one broken piece of furniture or destroyed artwork would have him working off the debt for the rest of his life. The thought terrified him.

The next door didn't open when he tested it and Sebastian continued walking. Knowing what he did, he took his job seriously and made sure that he tested each door thoroughly. The staff would do their best to keep the kids from wandering around the mansion but Rachel wasn't taking any chances. She wanted all the doors locked and checked every few hours, with all extra keys safely locked away.

Another locked door and Sebastian shook his head as he started to walk again. They could've saved themselves all this trouble if they had just had Ciel's birthday party somewhere else besides the mansion. Sebastian grumbled under his breath and ran a hand across his face. But of course, that would make things far too easy.

No, Ciel demanded a birthday party in the comforts of his own home this year. Sebastian only considered himself lucky that Ciel's birthday fell on the last day of classes. Or perhaps it made him unlucky. If he had finals to study for, he had a logical excuse to skip the party and all the chaos that would surely come from it.

"This is not worth double salary," he grumbled under his breath and tested the final door. He locked it with a quick flick of his wrist and gave it one final check before moving on.

He descended the steps and passed the key off to a member of the staff. Even with the key gone though, he still fretted about the upcoming party and could only hope that everything went smoothly.

"Sebastian!" a happy voice called and he turned around to see Ciel running toward him.

The child had a bright smile on his face and his eyes danced with joy. The sight helped to ease some of the worry and exhaustion from his mind, but not all. A small part of Sebastian's mind reminded him that behind the cheerful face, Ciel was the reason for all the stress and work in the first place.

Still, he scooped Ciel up in his arms and hugged him close, unable to deny Ciel. He fell victim to his charms just as the rest of the staff did and Sebastian couldn't find it in him to stay wholly mad at Ciel. "Happy birthday, Ciel," he said.

"Thanks," Ciel chirped and squirmed in his grip. "Have you seen the party room yet? It bet it looks so cool!"

"I'm certain it does," Sebastian answered as they started to walk off in that direction. The rest of the staff had slaved nearly all night to make everything look perfect and Sebastian didn't envy them at all. "Are you excited?"

Ciel nodded. "Yes," he said and then turned serious. "My party is going to be better than Alois's, that's for sure." He crossed his arms across his chest and gave a small nod a self-assuredness

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Ah yes, Alois," he said. How could he forget?

Alois was a classmate of Ciel's and they had met on the first day of school. They had an interesting relationship, one that firmly straddled the line between friend and enemy. Things probably would've turned out for the better if Alois hadn't stolen Ciel's cookies at lunch and then tried to make things better with a kiss. Because - as he declared – kisses made everything better.

Ciel came back from school that day demanding that Sebastian teach Alois a lesson. Sebastian had to firmly decline. He rather liked life outside of prison, thank you very much.

But with Alois came a whole new set of problems that Sebastian hadn't prepared for. While the strange relationship between Ciel and Alois caused him grief and more headaches than he liked, something else had arisen that Sebastian had to deal with. And it came in the form of another babysitter.

His name was Claude Faustus and just as Alois and Ciel had interesting relationship, so too did Sebastian and Claude. Only theirs tended to dance closer to the enemy side more often than not. Whether the dislike stemmed from their loyalty to their charges or just plain aversion in general, Sebastian didn't know.

The only thing he did know was that Claude Faustus was like a spider and he wanted nothing more than to see him underneath the sole of his shoe.

Even the way they met happened in a less than ideal setting.

It started with Sebastian meeting Alois properly for the first time during open night at Ciel's school. To which Ciel dragged him there and wouldn't take no for an answer - never mind that he had a test the next day. Ciel had proudly introduced him to Alois and then firmly declared that he was the best babysitter ever. Alois stared at him, then laughed flippantly, and Sebastian had to stop Ciel from attacking Alois.

He didn't think much of the meeting though – although he felt slightly annoyed that Ciel dragged him to the open night just to show him off. He supposed it was a little flattering though, in an annoying sort of way. But the encounter from the previous night didn't come full circle until the next day, when Sebastian had the joy of meeting Claude.

It was instant dislike and Sebastian sized Claude up while Claude did the same. The infuriating smirk irked Sebastian the most and he wanted nothing more than to tear it off Claude's face. It made him look too smug and high on his horse, and Sebastian had a feeling that Claude thought himself better than him.

In all, they probably would've come to blows if they weren't on school property. As it was, they simply glared each other down until Alois claimed that he wanted to go home. Claude turned away first and Sebastian counted that as his victory, no matter how minute it was. Regardless of who truly won, their rivalry didn't stop there and if anything, had simply started their strange relationship.

Things recently came to a peak though last month when Alois invited Ciel to his birthday party. Sebastian, as the ever-faithful babysitter, joined him. And it had nothing to do with the invitation for _both_ Ciel and Sebastian. The smug smirk on Claude and Alois's lips never faltered the whole afternoon and they both left in less than happy moods.

Sebastian swore Claude could see through the blindfold on 'pin the tail on the donkey'. He still had a bruise to prove it and Sebastian would never forget how Claude smashed cake in his face. The only thing that made the day worthwhile was tackling Claude in an empty hallway and wrestling him to the ground.

Even now, the thought brought a pleased smirk to his face and Sebastian chuckled to himself.

But Alois's birthday party was two-fold. While it allowed Claude to torture Sebastian, it also prompted Ciel to make his party bigger and better than Alois's party. And of course, like a good friend, Ciel personally invited Alois to his party. Strange friendship indeed.

Not that Sebastian could say anything when his relationship with Claude almost mirrored theirs. Especially as Sebastian extended the same invitation to Claude when they picked up their charges that afternoon.

"Sebastian?" Ciel asked hesitantly, pulling him from his thoughts. "Do you think my party will be better than Alois's?"

"Of course," Sebastian answered instantly. "Everyone worked hard to make sure you have a great party and I'm sure it'll be ten times better than Alois's party."

Ciel beamed and looked pleased with Sebastian's answer. "Good," he said. "I want to be better than Alois."

Sebastian came to a stop and he looked at Ciel. "Ciel," he said seriously and made sure the child focused on him. "While rivalry is all well and good within reason, you should never think yourself better than someone else or look down on them. Do you know why?"

Ciel shook his head.

"Because you're you and they're them. You don't know what they went through in their life and you shouldn't compare them. If you look down on someone all the time, it can make you look mean," Sebastian said and he smiled to take off some of the edge. "But if you ask me, I like you better than Alois."

Ciel giggled and Sebastian accepted the quick hug.

"But," he continued and held up a finger. He tapped Ciel's nose with it. "But, even if all those things are true, you should still treat Alois as a friend. You two can have your rivalry, but when he needs a friend, you should be there for him."

Ciel scrunched his nose. "Why?" he asked. "Alois is mean sometimes. He stole my cookies!"

Sebastian gave a faint smile. "He might not know better. Perhaps he didn't know how to ask to be your friend and figured that stealing your cookies was the next best way." He cocked his head in thought. "But no matter what happened, you two are friends. If not reluctantly. And you should always support your friends when you can."

Ciel didn't look convinced but he reluctantly nodded. "Okay," he said. "I'll try my best."

"That's all that I ask," Sebastian said and shouldered the door open. "Now, what do you think of the party room?"

Excitement lit up Ciel's face and he wiggled in Sebastian's arms so he could get down. Once his feet hit the floor, he ran around excitedly, taking in all the features that lined the walls. It made Sebastian smile just watching him and he closed his eyes for a few minutes to remember the birthday parties he used to have as a child.

While they weren't as large or extravagant as Ciel's, they were still special and he enjoyed celebrating his birthday no matter what. Even when money ran a little tight, his parents would always try their best to make his day extraordinary. Times like this made Sebastian wish he were a child again. Life seemed so much simpler then.

He chuckled and pushed away from the wall. They didn't have much longer before the guests started to show up. Sebastian straightened his shirt as he mentally prepared himself for the onslaught of children.

And one annoyingly frustrating babysitter.

**.:|The Games they Play|:.**

Sebastian reclined in a chair as he lazily watched Ciel tear open his presents. For the first time since the party started, he could relax and Sebastian took every available second. Although, with the rate Ciel tore through his gifts, he wouldn't get a very long break. But at least the party was almost over and Sebastian could taste the end.

His eyes scanned over the children huddled around Ciel. They shouted and made the appropriate noises when needed, sometimes yelling at Ciel to open the gifts faster. It seemed everyone got into the spirit and with Ciel's birthday so close to Christmas, it only served to make them even more impatient for the day in question.

Leisurely, he counted the number of kids in the room. Elizabeth was the easiest to pick out, her blond hair a stark contrast next to Ciel's darker locks. He started with her and began to move around the room, skipping the members of Ciel's family that had visited for the occasion. Thankfully, they weren't staying the night. Sebastian didn't know if he could handle being around the single women in Ciel's family.

To be frank, they scared him.

He finished circling the room and a slow frown crossed his lips. He sat up straighter in the chair and recounted again. Slowly, panic started to settle in his chest and Sebastian stood up, getting a better view of the room. Once more, he started to count but as before, he came up one number short. His eyes flickered around the room. No, two short.

Alois and Claude were missing.

With a low curse, Sebastian slipped through the adults that mingled near the back of the room. A few members of the staff gave him a confused look but he brushed them off. Knowing those two, they had probably snuck away in hopes of causing trouble. And Sebastian would be damned if he let that happen.

Once outside the room, he started down at the hallway at a quick pace. He took long, striding steps and quickly deemed the first floor clear. Bard confirmed that no one had come into the kitchen or dining area and Sebastian turned his attention to the upper floors.

He took the steps two at a time, the carpet muffling the sound of his feet. While the second floor only housed the bedrooms and a few studies, they still had expensive furniture and priceless art. No part of the mansion was less expensive than the rest and Sebastian didn't want to see any part of it damaged.

With each wing that remained empty, Sebastian hastened his pace. It worried him that he couldn't find either Alois or Claude, and he knew he would find them in the very last wing.

He rounded a corner and came to a stop at the sound of sobbing, the noise catching him off guard. It was unexpected and Sebastian's eyebrows furrowed, trying to make sense of everything. Of all the things he expected to find Alois doing, crying into Claude's shoulder while they sat on the floor was not one of them.

Cool, amber eyes narrowed at him as he approached and Sebastian held his hands up in front of himself, showing that he meant no harm. Seeing the gesture, Claude relaxed a hairsbreadth and turned his attention back to Alois, alternating between running a soothing hand across his back and petting his hair.

Sebastian eyed them curiously but didn't take another step closer out of respect. "What happened?" he asked, hoping Claude wouldn't take offense with the question. For once, he didn't want to show any malice to either of them.

"His Highness became upset," Claude answered and Sebastian mentally scowled at the title. Something about it irked him and he only hoped that Ciel didn't make him do something similar.

"I can see that," Sebastian said carefully and Claude's eyes narrowed again. The look didn't deter Sebastian. "What caused him to become upset?"

Claude didn't answer right away and he shifted on the ground. Alois clung to him tighter, his cries becoming slightly louder. His face had grown red and splotchy, and tear streaks stained his cheeks while snot dripped from his nose. Overall, it made for an unattractive picture but Sebastian had long since grown used to seeing the crying face of a child.

The minutes stretched on and for a while, Sebastian wondered if Claude would even grace him with an answer. "Ciel's family is here," Claude said suddenly, catching Sebastian off guard. He looked down at Claude and held his gaze. "That made him upset."

Understanding dawned quickly in Sebastian's mind and he nodded carefully. Throughout Alois's entire party, Sebastian had never once seen a family member in the manor. Only the staff floated around the large building, providing quality service and food, but they couldn't replace the love that family had to offer.

It made it hard for Alois to see Ciel have the one thing that he probably wanted more than anything in the world. While Alois might've received more presents, Ciel still had his family surrounding him at the end of the day. And Sebastian would bet that Alois would trade all of that to have the same thing.

"His father is in love with his company," Claude said softly and Sebastian had to strain to hear it. "And his mother is in love with the money that comes from it."

Sebastian made an understanding noise and he took a few steps closer to Claude before sitting down next to him. "They missed his birthday," he finished and Claude nodded.

"He was abroad, closing a deal and she was on a cruise," Claude spat. Alois shuddered in his arms and Claude smoothed back his hair. "As it is, the staff and I tried our best to make sure he had the best party we could give him."

"You did a good job," Sebastian said quietly. "I know Ciel and I had fun at least. Ciel wouldn't stop talking about it for days." He offered a small smile.

It wasn't a lie either. For all that Ciel tried not to look impressed with Alois's party, Sebastian knew he truly was. When they came back, he would tell Sebastian every detail he could remember, even though Sebastian was there as well.

Claude looked at him and gave the barest of smiles. "Thanks," he said. "It actually meant a lot to Alois that you two came." He paused. "And, for what it's worth, I'm sorry about the cake incident. You're not too bad."

Sebastian grinned. "You're not too bad yourself," he admitted. A clock further down the hallway struck five and he looked at Alois. "The party is almost over."

"I should get him home before anyone sees him," Claude said. "That's the last thing I need."

"It was a shame though that he missed half of the party," Sebastian said and eyed Alois. "And he probably didn't enjoy himself that much for the first part."

His heart went out to the child, if only a little. He still didn't like Alois – and he would still keep Claude at arms distance for now – but it didn't mean that he wanted Alois to suffer.

Claude shrugged. "There's nothing you could've done. It means enough to me already that you didn't mock him. For that I'm thankful."

"Still," Sebastian said as he stood up. "Let me talk to Ciel real quick."

Claude eyed him curiously. "What are you thinking?"

He hummed. "Something," Sebastian said and walked away from the pair. "Just, don't move."

Claude grumbled something under his breath but Sebastian didn't pay him any attention. Downstairs, he could hear the guests mingling in the foyer and he hurried down the steps. It took a while to find Ciel in the throng of people but eventually, he tracked him down in the party room. The child hurried over to him before he could get two steps into the room and Sebastian grunted when Ciel threw himself at him.

"Where did you go?" Ciel demanded, sounding hurt.

Sebastian brushed a few strands of hair from his face. "I'm sorry, I had to handle something. I didn't think it would take that long."

Ciel pouted. "You didn't see me open my presents."

"I did," Sebastian corrected as they started to walk through the manor. "Just not all of them. You'll have to show me later."

He slipped easily through the people, muttering apologies until they reached the steps. Ciel gave him a strange look. "Where are we going?"

"Ciel," Sebastian started as he climbed the steps. "Do you remember what I told you about Alois and how you should be his friend if he needs it?"

Ciel nodded hesitantly. "Yes," he said carefully.

Sebastian came to a stop at a small landing. "He needs you to be a friend right now," he said. "Something happened to make him upset and he's hurt."

"Hurt?!" Ciel exclaimed and clutched the front of Sebastian's shirt. "Where? Should we get a doctor?"

"He's hurt here," Sebastian said and tapped the spot above Ciel's heart. "This is something that a doctor can't fix, only a friend."

Ciel nibbled his lower lip and nodded. "What happened to him?"

Sebastian hesitated, trying to decide if he should tell Alois's story or not. He knew Ciel wouldn't mock Alois but it was still personal and Sebastian didn't want Ciel to have that kind of hold over Alois. Not that he thought Ciel would do anything with it, but he would rather play it safe. Children often hid a devil behind their innocent face.

He stopped at the top of the steps and looked at Ciel seriously. "Remember how sad you felt when I wasn't there when you opened your presents?" he asked and Ciel nodded. "Someone special to Alois couldn't be there when he opened his presents."

"Oh," Ciel said softly and he looked trouble. "Poor Alois. I felt awful when you weren't there." Sebastian winced at the blunt words. "We'll have to make him feel better than."

A small smile crept across Sebastian's face. "Yes, we'll have to do that," he said and started to walk once more.

They made their way to the wing where Claude and Alois sat, and Sebastian breathed out a sigh of relief to see that they hadn't left. He jiggled Ciel in his arms, a silent warning to be on his best behavior, before setting him down.

Claude looked up as they approached, his eyes cautious and he tightened his grip on Alois.

Ciel ignored the gesture and stuck out his hand to Alois. "Do you want to stay the night?" he asked and Alois slowly turned his head to look at him. "Sebastian makes the best dessert ever!"

"Nah-uh," Alois said and he dragged his arm under his nose – Sebastian grimaced at the gesture. "Claude makes the best desserts."

"Well, I guess you'll never know if you don't stay," Ciel goaded. "Or maybe you're just scared that I can throw a better slumber party than you."

Sebastian opened his mouth to correct Ciel, as slumber parties were usually for girls, but then just shrugged. Rachel would correct him when they went to go ask. More importantly though, Alois's tears had dried up and he was back on his feet, arguing with Ciel just as he usually did. Their strange friendship picking up where it left off.

Alois stomped his foot. "I'll only stay though if Claude can stay."

"Say what?" Sebastian asked.

Claude turned to him with a smirk. "Something the matter, Michaelis? We could have our own sleepover while Alois and Ciel have theirs."

"No. Way," Sebastian deadpanned. His generosity only went so far and sharing a room with Claude was out of the question.

He tensed when Claude draped his arm around his shoulders while Ciel and Alois worked out the agreements for Alois staying the night. "Scared that I'll make a better dessert than you?" he said lowly.

Sebastian tossed the arm off and straightened his shirt before holding Claude's smug smirk with one of his own. "You wish," he said and gave a mock bow. "After you, Faustus."

"You're too kind, Michaelis," Claude stated. But despite the biting words, his eyes swam with relief and thanks, the only sign that he didn't hate Sebastian as much as he let on.

Yes, theirs was a strange friendship as well. But Sebastian found that it could grow on him.

Maybe.


	9. Returning Home

**A/N**: A note about this chapter. I actually wrote this early March and planned for it to be the last chapter. I say this to explain the lack of Claude or Alois in this chapter, haha. I debated adding more chapters with them, but I wanted to keep this story centered on Sebastian and Ciel. I'm sorry to anyone who wanted to see more appearances of them :( I hope y'all enjoy the chapter ^^

**Warnings**: Fluff

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Kuroshitsuji

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><p><em>Returning Home: No matter how the return, grand or simple, it's still the return that counts.<em>

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><p>White clouds floated lazily overhead, forming random shapes in the sky. Blue eyes watched them curiously and searched the sky for any airplanes flying above. Ciel didn't find any and he sighed heavily before turning his attention back to the book in his lap. He tried his best to focus on the words, but his mind kept drifting away.<p>

Across the yard, his newest babysitter watched him carefully, green eyes staring at him behind sharp glasses. Ciel glared back at him and then stuck his tongue out at the man. He didn't like William. He wasn't nearly as fun as Sebastian was and he didn't know how to cook desserts the way Sebastian did. That alone made Sebastian superior to William.

Ciel huffed when William didn't do anything and looked back up the sky. He missed Sebastian and every day, weather permitting, he would spend at least an hour or so outside so he could watch the sky for airplanes. He wished on each one that passed overhead, treating them like shooting stars and asking them to bring Sebastian home.

His mother told him that Sebastian would come back soon enough and that Ciel just had to be patient. But Ciel was tired of being patient. He wanted Sebastian back now. Despite the friends Ciel made at school, and he had a few, Sebastian still remained his best friend. No one could replace him, especially not William.

Ciel had hoped for another Christmas miracle last year when Sebastian first left, but Santa didn't bring him back home. No matter how much Ciel begged and pleaded with the man. He wrote several letters but come Christmas morning, Sebastian wasn't under the Christmas tree.

Ciel looked up as William approached him. William was older than Sebastian was and pointedly refused to give him piggyback rides, claiming that Sebastian spoiled him in doing so. That knocked Will down in Ciel's book

"It's time to head inside, Ciel," Will said and Ciel huffed. "It's been over two hours."

"I'm waiting for Sebastian to come back," Ciel stated and glared at Will with as much force as he could muster.

William shook his head. "Sebastian is still on his study abroad, Ciel."

Ciel made a face at the reminder and he hated it every time someone told him that. Almost a year had passed since Sebastian left the manor for a study abroad in another country. Sebastian had pointed it out on a map for Ciel and the distance between them almost made Ciel cry. But all the pleading in the world couldn't keep Sebastian at the manor and he firmly told Ciel that he couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Ciel refused to talk to Sebastian after that, giving him the cold shoulder for two weeks. He had hoped that in doing so, Sebastian would change his mind. But Sebastian continued to pack his bags during that time and Ciel could do nothing but watch from afar. He knew Sebastian would come back eventually. But after spending nearly a year and a half with him, any time away from Sebastian seemed like forever.

He would've continued his silent protest if his mother hadn't gently reminded him that even though Ciel didn't agree with him, Sebastian would still leave at the end of summer. Whether or not Ciel spent time with Sebastian or even said goodbye. The fact of the matter was that Sebastian would go no matter what and Ciel had to make a choice.

Spend as much time with Sebastian as he could before he left and wait patiently for his return, or ignore him and miss time together with him.

Ciel never made a faster decision.

They spent the remaining time together and Ciel apologized to Sebastian for acting so mean. Thankfully, Sebastian forgave him (because Sebastian was awesome that way) and even though the departure date drew closer, Ciel tried to make the best of each day.

Sebastian promised to talk with him through the computer whenever he had time. They couldn't talk every day, as Sebastian made sure to point out when he first suggested the idea, but they could still talk a few times a month. Ciel wanted to debate that, claiming that he wanted to talk with Sebastian every day, but Sebastian quickly explained that the time difference would make things difficult to talk all the time.

Ciel didn't like it, but he had no choice but to accept. A few times a month were better than none, or so his mother told him. But it didn't mean that Ciel liked it any better.

"When is he coming home, Will?" Ciel asked and closed his book.

Will grunted and pushed up his glasses. "Soon, as I told you yesterday." He looked at Ciel expectantly, waiting for him to stand up so they could go back inside. "Although how that poor excuse for a human managed to get such a lucrative opportunity still escapes me."

Ciel's eyes narrowed at Will. "Don't talk about Sebastian that way," he snapped. "He's much better than you and you're just jealous."

"As though I would ever feel jealous over Sebastian," Will said and rolled his eyes. "The mere thought makes me laugh."

"You're not laughing," Ciel pointed out as they started to walk back to the house. Will didn't answer and Ciel pouted at the ground. Humor was another of Will's shortcomings and Ciel missed Sebastian's laughter.

Or rather, Ciel simply missed everything about Sebastian.

"Go upstairs and get ready for dinner," Will said after they entered the house. "Don't take too long or you'll miss it."

Ciel stuck his tongue out at Will and then ran up the steps before Will could do anything. He slammed his door shut and locked it, even though he knew Will didn't follow. He never did. Sebastian would always chase him throughout the manor whenever Ciel did something wrong.

He sighed and looked around his room, blue eyes falling on Soot. The kitten probably missed Sebastian, and Ciel stroked the soft fur carefully. Sebastian told Ciel that he would leave the kitten behind so both her and Bitter Rabbit could keep Ciel company, but Ciel snuck Bitter Rabbit into Sebastian's suitcase at the last minute. It was Ciel's way of staying close to Sebastian and was a silent promise that Sebastian would return.

Ciel sorely missed the rabbit plush, but he saw the rabbit every time he talked with Sebastian. It helped ease the ache and Ciel cuddled Soot tightly. "He'll come back soon, promise. And then we can all play together. Sebastian, you, Bitter Rabbit, and me." Ciel paused. "But not Will. He's not invited because he'll ruin the fun."

The kitten didn't answer but if Ciel closed his eyes, he could feel her nuzzle his cheek with her soft fur. Ciel sighed again and placed Soot back on the bed. He smoothed out the ruffled fur and wandered over to the pictures that sat on his desk. Sebastian and Bitter Rabbit filled each picture and Ciel shuffled through them.

Sebastian took Bitter Rabbit with him when he traveled to new places and once joked with Ciel that the rabbit had his own passport of sorts by now. He showed the small stamp book to Ciel during one of their talks online and Ciel couldn't wait to see the little book when Sebastian returned. The intricate writing and stamps that filled the pages looked magical.

He set the pictures down and turned instead to the calendar that hung on the wall. A few more weeks remained until his elementary school graduation and hopefully Sebastian's return. The last time they talked, Sebastian said that he would try to make it back in time for his graduation, but couldn't make any promises.

Ciel tried not to feel disappointed because he already knew that Sebastian felt bad, but he couldn't help that he wanted Sebastian there. It was his elementary graduation after all! Ciel missed his previous graduation due to a bad cold and he looked forward to crossing the stage this year. He just hoped that Sebastian could make it back in time.

**.:|The Games They Play|:.**

Ciel's feet swung back and forth, barely brushing the floor. He fought the urge to look over his shoulder and find his parents in the sea of people behind him. He had to pay attention and his teacher told them several times not to wave at their parents while the principal talked. They could wave after they crossed the stage and received their graduation card.

He tried not to dwell on the fact that Sebastian still hadn't returned and several weeks had passed since they last talked. Sebastian promised that he would come for the summer but summer break would start soon and Ciel still didn't have his best friend. And Alois didn't count, he was only Ciel's friend – plus, he was in a different class this year.

Swallowing, Ciel focused on the principal and tried to keep the frustrated tears at bay. At least this way Ciel could always show Sebastian his graduation certificate. Ciel supposed that Sebastian didn't really have to be here at his graduation.

It helped a little and Ciel rubbed at his eyes as the principal finished speaking. She congratulated them one last time before the first teacher called his class to the stage so they could receive their certificate. Ciel took that time and caved into temptation, looking over his shoulder to find his parents. His eyes widened at the mass amount of people that sat behind him and he quickly started to search the crowd.

Several parents waved at their kids only adding to the confusion and it took a few minutes before Ciel finally found his parents. He waved at them and his mom happily gestured back. She tugged on his father's arm and pointed at him, making his father roll his eyes before nodding his head. Ciel giggled and nodded back.

His eyes gazed over his mom again and grinned when they settled on Soot. She sat happily in his mom's lap, coat gleaming and eyes bright. Even if Sebastian couldn't be here in person, Ciel had the next best thing.

He turned around again as the next class walked up to the stage and straightened out his top. His class would go next and Ciel's heart started to race with excitement. After this, he would receive his certificate and officially move onto the next grade. He thought it was very exciting. Maybe he could reenact graduation for Sebastian when he came back. That way Sebastian could still see him graduate.

Ciel giggled at the thought. It could work, he mused. He could get Mey-rin to act as his teacher and maybe Bard could pretend to be the principal. His parents probably couldn't come again, but they had already seen him graduate this time and this was more for Sebastian than them. They could put Bitter Rabbit and Soot in the audience too. That way Bitter Rabbit could watch it with Soot.

He nodded to himself, it was a good idea and Ciel couldn't wait to tell Sebastian about it. He would make sure to give Sebastian the best graduation show ever!

"Next, classroom twenty-four," the principal said and gestured to the stage. "Please come to the front."

Ciel jumped to his feet as his classmates stood up and he walked proudly with them to the front of the auditorium. They lined up carefully, like they practice earlier in the week, and Ciel quickly waved at his parents one last time. They waved back and Ciel turned back around to face the front before the teacher caught him.

Slowly, they started to file onto the stage in alphabetical order. The parents clapped politely as his classmates before him walked onto the stage and Ciel couldn't wait to see his parents from atop the stage.

A hand fell on his shoulder just as he started to climb the steps and Ciel looked up. "Will you wait over here with me, Ciel?" his teacher asked.

Ciel's eyebrows furrowed. "Am I in trouble?" he questioned, heart racing. "I didn't mean to wave at my parents earlier. I couldn't help it, honest!"

His teacher smiled and shook her head. "You're not in trouble at all, Ciel. I just want some company while I call the names. Can you do that for me?"

He nodded hesitantly and followed her to the podium near the side of the stage. His heart still thumped loudly in his chest and Ciel could see the questioning looks on his classmate's faces. He tried to ignore them and focus instead on calming his nerves down. It helped that from this angle, not many people could see him but Ciel hoped that eventually he would get to walk the stage with his friends.

Gradually, each of his classmates crossed the stage and accepted their graduation certificate from the principal. Ciel played with the flower that framed the podium, listening to the names and wondering when his turn would come. He tried his best to keep from fidgeting and focus instead on his classmates, but found it harder than he thought.

He eyes scanned the crowd for his parents from the stage as a way to distract himself and after a few minutes of searching, finally found them. His mom had her camera out, ready to record his walk and Ciel puffed his chest out in pride. He would get his turn soon enough. Hopefully.

Ciel looked up as his last classmate crossed the stage and accepted his certificate. The principal walked off the stage with him and Ciel started to squirm. Why was the principal leaving? If she didn't give him his certificate, would he still graduate? Panic started to well in his chest and his gaze swung up to meet his teacher.

"What about me?" he asked nervously.

She placed a hand on his head and looked over to where the principal stood off the stage – a quick nod passing between them - before looking back at him. "You're next Ciel. I'm sorry to keep you waiting like that. Can you stand here and face the audience, please?"

Ciel nodded and shuffled around the podium until he stood in front of it. From the new position, he could see the whole auditorium and he silently gulped at all the attention placed on him.

"We have one final member of our class to graduate this evening. He was a big help keeping me company while I read the names today." His teacher paused and Ciel flushed, heart racing even more than before as everyone looked at him. "Ciel Phantomhive. You may now get your graduation certificate."

Ciel beamed and turned to the side so he could cross the stage. He faltered though and his eyes widened at the person standing where the principal once stood. His mouth parted, trying to say something and Ciel felt tears burn the corners of his eyes. Familiar crimson eyes danced with laughter and Ciel watched as lips quirked ever so slightly into a smirk that Ciel knew all too well.

"Sebastian!" He shouted and ran across the stage.

He launched himself into Sebastian's waiting arms, sobbing openly as the audience 'aww-ed' around them. Sebastian embraced him tightly and a hand came to cup the back of his head, fingers threading carefully through his hair. Ciel gripped the back of Sebastian's shirt, refusing to let go as his tears stained the collar on Sebastian's shirt.

"Sebastian," he hiccupped and tightened his grip. "You really came."

"I did," Sebastian murmured soothingly. "I didn't want to miss your graduation and I promised I would come back by summer, didn't I?"

Ciel nodded and reluctantly pulled away so he could look at Sebastian. He still kept a firm grip on Sebastian's shirt, scared that Sebastian would vanish if he let go for just a second. "Are you going back there again?" he asked, terrified of the answer.

Sebastian shook his head. "Not for a long time, Ciel." He reached up to brush away the tears that gathered in Ciel's eyes. He wiped them away and then carefully dried red cheeks. "Looks like you're stuck with me for a while," he teased.

A small laugh left Ciel and he rubbed at his eyes. "I wouldn't have let you leave anyway," he stated boldly. "A year is too long. You're not allowed to leave ever again."

Sebastian chuckled and smoothed out Ciel's tussled hair. "I'll keep you to that promise," he said.

"Good," Ciel murmured and fidgeted slightly. "But you have to promise too that you'll never leave."

Crimson eyes closed and Ciel bit his lip as Sebastian searched for the right words. "I can't promise that I'll never leave, Ciel," he finally said. "But I can promise that I'll never let you go and that we'll always remain friends no matter what."

"You promise?" Ciel demanded.

Sebastian nodded and looked Ciel in the eye. "I promise," he said honestly. "But right now you have a graduation to finish." He stood up as the principal came up behind him and turned around to accept the graduation certificate before looking back at Ciel.

Ciel beamed at him and straightened out his rumpled shirt one more time. He ignored everyone in the audience, minus his parents and Soot of course, and focused on Sebastian. "I'm ready," he declared to Sebastian, making him smile.

"Ciel Phantomhive, on behalf of the faculty at Lakeshore Elementary and myself, we present to you, your graduation certificate. Congratulations on passing this grade and moving onto the next," Sebastian said loudly and Ciel flushed with pride.

Ciel reached for the certificate as Sebastian handed it over to him amidst the loud clapping and cheering. His chest puffed out with pride and Ciel couldn't keep the large smile off his face. The excitement of graduation paled in comparison to Sebastian's return home and Ciel wanted nothing more than to hug Sebastian again.

But they still had graduation to finish and Ciel would have more than enough time this summer to spend with Sebastian. He reached up to grasp Sebastian's hand and tugged at it gently so they could walk off the stage together. Behind them, Ciel could hear the principal concluding the graduation ceremony and thanking everyone for the support, but the words themselves didn't mean anything to him.

Because the only thing that mattered now held his hand in a warm grip with a promise never to let go and that meant the world to Ciel.

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><p><strong>Last AN**: Just to briefly explain the meaning behind this chapter. This chapter was and still is a bittersweet chapter for me because it dealt with something a little personal for me - the subject of returning home - and I originally wanted to post it the day I went home as a celebration of sorts. But that's still months away and I probably would've ran out of time, haha. So decided to post it now before things got to hectic! ^^ This isn't the last chapter though, there's one more after thins; an epilogue of sorts ^^


	10. Epilogue

**A/N**: Hello everyone! **This is the last chapter of 'The Games They Play.'** It can actually be considered an epilogue I guess. As I said last chapter, I had planned on that one being the final chapter until someone had a review asking me how I would end this if it were a true story and not a collection of one shots. This chapter came about from that review. I hope y'all enjoy it ^^

**Warnings**: Tiny dash of angst, if you squint really hard

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Kuroshitsuji

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><p>Festive music floated lightly throughout the yard and people milled about on the rolling green yard. The air held a festive feel to it, light weight and filled with energy. The staff moved easily around the guests and Ciel snagged a drink when one passed by him. He sipped it and started to walk again, mingling with the people who covered the yard.<p>

He tried his best to act polite, after all, they had all come to celebrate his success. But after several hours of answering questions and accepting words of congratulations, all Ciel wanted to do was sit down.

It didn't help matters that he arrived back home from college the previous day. A long day of driving, preceded by an even longer week of packing and cleaning his apartment. It left him feeling exhausted and Ciel could feel the weight of the week pressing down heavily on his shoulders. His parents meant well - throwing him a wonderful graduation party - but truly, Ciel wished they had waited at least one more day.

He wouldn't complain though and he felt touched that they had gone to such lengths for him. It meant a lot to Ciel, especially as his schoolwork often kept him too busy to keep in frequent touch with his parents. It warmed him to know that despite his age, they still cared for him and treasured him above all else.

Ciel took another drink from the glass and wandered over to the small gazebo. No one else had found the open structure and Ciel sat down heavily with a loud sigh of relief. His feet throbbed in his shoes and a slight headache had started to pulse faintly in his temples. He massaged them, pressing his fingers tenderly against the skin in an effort to stave off the pressure.

Around him, the trees swayed slightly in the wind; the leaves rustling under the gentle caress of the breeze. It sent a few leaves tumbling to the ground and one floated into the gazebo, landing at his feet. He nudged it with his foot and the wind caught it once more. It flew from the floor and twisted up into the air, dancing along the winds currents.

It vanished moments later and Ciel turned his attention back to the drink in his hand. He had always found comfort and solitude in the gazebo, finding the graceful arches and detailed trim to be soothing.

He didn't remember when he started to like the gazebo, his earliest memories fuzzy with each day that he aged. But he remembered that he had enjoyed the place ever since he discovered it as a child. Ciel hummed under his breath and tipped his head back against a wooden pillar as he struggled to recall his childhood.

Bits and pieces floated throughout his mind, flashing before his eyes like a broken movie. Figures and old friends long since forgotten flittered and darted rapidly in front of him before they vanished once more. Like the leaf he had seen earlier, they remained lost to the currents of the wind. Tossed and scattered throughout the maze of his mind.

Ciel laughed lightly to himself and shook his head. It was one thing to reminisce, but another thing to dwell on things he couldn't remember. "Aren't you the depressing one today," he muttered to himself and stood up.

The drink made a soft noise against the wood as he set it down on the seat. He moved away from the bench until he stood in the middle of the rounded building. With slow and careful movements, Ciel spun around, taking in every detail. The color of the paint, the grain of the wood, the designs carved into the building; everything surrounded him.

He looked further beyond that, outside and past the open walls. Outside, the trees littered the ground, offering shade while their thick branches were heavy with leaves. A few streams of sunlight escaped through the thick canopy and trickled down to scatter across the ground.

If Ciel were any younger, he would claim that the sight looked almost magical and would set off to run through the beams of light. Perhaps at one point, he would've scoured the area for a mythical creature.

Ciel's lips twitched in a small smile and he turned from the view. No matter how beautiful it looked, he knew now that those times had long since passed. He didn't have time to dream and fantasize about fairy creatures. He knew better now. The years that had passed him since childhood had him seeing past the veil of childhood delight and allowed him see the world for what it was.

He glanced over his shoulder and blue eyes focused on the dancing beams. Memories pushed against him once more and the feeling of nostalgia welled up inside him. Funny how visiting certain places from his past could do that.

Ciel tried not to dwell on the feeling, but something in his thoughts pestered him relentlessly. It nagged him and dredged up his childhood once more, forcing him to remember the laughter and cool touch of grass under his bare feet. He had played in the wooded areas when he was younger and a dog ran alongside him.

And something else.

Ciel ran a hand through his hair and then brought it down to rub at his face. It was there that his memory grew fuzzy. That shadowed figure never sharpened and Ciel struggled to put a face to the person, let alone a name. It frustrated him and Ciel had a strong suspicion that the person was important. But if he was, then why couldn't Ciel remember them?

With a dismissive noise, Ciel turned once more from the line of trees. He snatched the glass from the bench and drained the rest of the drink in several long gulps. A few droplets escaped his mouth and trickled down the line of his neck but Ciel didn't bother with them. They would dry well before he returned to the party.

For now, he just wanted to enjoy the quiet and stillness that the gazebo offered. Even if it had his thoughts tumbling quickly around each other, sending them battering against one another.

"You always used to like coming out here during the summer," a quiet but amused voice said to his left.

Ciel's head snapped in the direction of the sound and he had to fight back the scowl that threatened to form on his lips. An older man stood just at the bottom of the steps leading into the gazebo, watching him with a faint smile. His black slacks and buttoned up shirt accented a sharp figure, and the dark red top emphasized the crimson in his eyes. He didn't step into the building, but a hand rested on the railing and he had a look that told Ciel that he wanted to join him.

"Ah, but you probably don't remember me," the man continued and his foot rested against the lowest step. He shrugged slightly and the briefest flicker of hurt passed through his eyes. "Not that I blame you. It's been a long time."

"I'm sorry," Ciel said half-heartedly. "I wouldn't take it personally though. I don't remember a lot of people from my past at times. I think it's the same for everyone."

The man chuckled. "I suppose. But I recall you promising me once that you would never forget me, Then again, you were so young then that you probably didn't know what you were saying at the time."

Ciel bristled. He didn't like that this man spoke so casually about him when Ciel couldn't even recall a flicker of remembrance of him. It left him disconcerted and he struggled to remember even the barest of hints. "Were you an old partner or friend of my fathers?" he asked.

A negative shake of the head. "No, nothing like that." He looked around the gazebo again and then out to the trees just beyond it. "When you were younger, you used to run through those trees. You'd chase the dog around, screaming your head off and yelling at me not to touch the light. If I recall, you claimed they would turn people into stone or send them away to a different dimension."

Heat licked its way up Ciel's neck and spread across his cheeks. "How do you know that?"

The man smiled slightly. "I told you, I've known you for a long time."

"Then why can't I remember you?" Ciel demanded.

He shrugged. "Who can say why people remember or don't remember things? Our minds are a strange thing and I figure we'll never unravel the mysteries that they offer." The smile grew a little wider. "But I remember all the games we used to play.

Ciel stared at him, struggling to decipher the cryptic words. They sounded strange but familiar. They sparked something warm inside him and it urged Ciel to remember. But the more Ciel reached out to grasp the feeling, the more it darted out of his touch. Fleeting and teasing, it skirted just on the edge of his conscious.

It left him frustrated and Ciel blew out an exasperated sigh before looking at the man again. "Are you someone's father? Like, the father of someone I played with when I was a child?"

The man look insulted. "Father?" he repeated. "I don't look that old, do I?" His voice sounded traumatized even though it carried the barest hints of amusement.

"Not really," Ciel muttered. "But it was the only logical thing I could think. You say that you know me from when I was younger, so you're obviously from my childhood."

"Glad to see you can put your college education to good use," the man teased.

Ciel scowled at the comment. "You know, this would be easier if you told me your name."

The man shook his head. "That makes things too easy," he said. "And wouldn't that be cheating?"

"Not really," Ciel answered and leaned back against the bench. "Can you tell me what you do at least?"

"I can," he said. "I work in the Information Systems department. Basically, I work with computers."

Ciel hummed. "Impressive," he said. "I had a friend who studied something similar. Did you go the business route, too?"

The man nodded. "I did. I received my Master's degree in it. Accounting though wasn't my favorite class to take. Nasty course."

"Eh, I like numbers," Ciel admitted. Although he knew that several people shared the same sentiment as the man before him. He eyed the man. "Do you work for my father?"

He shook his head. "No. You can say I used to though. But currently I work for a different company. One that's not in the same field as your father." He smiled. "I would never join a rival company, not after everything he did for me."

Ciel stared at him, trying to place the man in his thoughts. He spoke with a familiar tone and seemed to have a great deal of respect for his father – and family for that matter. It suggested that he had been around for a while and that Ciel should know him, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember.

"I'm glad to hear that you're doing well for yourself. It's always good to see people become successful," Ciel said.

"But you still don't remember me," the man finished.

Ciel shook his head and bit his lip. "No, I'm sorry. I feel like I should, but I keep drawing a blank." That wasn't quite the truth, but Ciel couldn't exactly come out and say that his voice sounded familiar. It sounded strange and slightly awkward.

The man offered another smile, this one sad and resigned. It tugged at his lips but didn't reach his eyes and Ciel worried his lower lip. "Well, as I said earlier, that's to be expected. I suppose I should get going and leave you to your party. I'm sure you have other guests and I shouldn't take up all your time." He looked at Ciel warmly and his eyes held something that Ciel couldn't place. "Congratulations on your graduation, Ciel. I'm proud of you. I always have been."

He held out his hand and Ciel grasped it almost hesitantly. The hand felt warm and slightly calloused against his palm, and Ciel had the strangest feeling that at one point in his life, he had held this hand before. But back then, it had encased his hand in a large but safe grip that put Ciel at ease.

They shook briefly and Ciel's hand fell back to his side before he even realized it. Handshake done, the man straightened his shirt and offered a small wave. "I'll be seeing you, Ciel. Take care of yourself."

"Yeah," Ciel muttered and watched as the man turned around and stepped back onto the ground. The gravel crunched under the man's shoes and he shoved his hands into his pockets before he started to walk away.

Ciel watched him go, his chest feeling strange and heavy. His headache pulsed stronger between his ears and a quiet but demanding voice urged him to remember. He scowled and pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes, trying his best to quiet his thoughts. They fell silent, but in their silence, the memories started to come forth.

The sparkling sun against the pool's reflection in the middle of summer – someone drying him off with a towel while they argued about something.

A person standing under a Christmas tree with a bow sitting awkwardly in messy dark hair.

A feather in a pirate hat and a butler costume, along with something that sent Ciel's heart racing in his chest as fear briefly gripped him.

Birthday parties surrounded by friends, yet standing out amongst all of them stood a figure.

The same figure that haunted Ciel's memories of his childhood. Ciel stretched for the person, knowing that they were important and at one point, was his whole world. A name fell from his thoughts, streaking through the skies like a star on fire. Down it fell, tumbling through the memories of his past until it dropped neatly into his lap and spread across his tongue, tasting like honey – sweet and warm.

"Sebastian," he muttered, the name rolling off his tongue in a familiar caress. It came naturally, as though he had said it a thousand times and Ciel knew that it was the case. "Sebastian!" he called again and jumped down the few steps that led from the gazebo.

In front of him, Sebastian had stopped and turned around to look at him. A hint of surprise flickered across his face before he made a light noise and shook his head.

Ciel stopped in front of him, annoyed to find that after all the years that had passed Sebastian still towered over him. "I remembered," he said breathlessly. "You were my babysitter when I was younger. And," he paused and shifted his weight. "You were my first friend. You were my best friend."

"Were?" Sebastian teased and his smile grew slightly. "I recall a time when you declared that I would always be your best friend."

"How do you remember all that?" Ciel asked. "I can barely remember anything from my childhood, yet here you are practically reciting conversations we had."

Sebastian laughed and they started to walk back to the gazebo. "You were young, around five or so I believe. It's difficult for you to recall things from that far back. I was a bit older than you when I first came into your family's service." He shrugged. "Plus, you were rather unforgettable."

Ciel scowled. "I hope you mean that in a positive sense."

"I do," Sebastian answered. "There were times when I first met you that I thought you were a little terror." Ciel made a strange noise but Sebastian continued unperturbed. "But you grew on me eventually. You were an interesting child. Creative and always willing to try new things. In a way, you let me relive childhood again through you," he finished softly.

Ciel looked away, his face burning at the words Sebastian spoke. "I hope I wasn't too much of a terror for you," he said and Sebastian simply laughed. "I don't remember you leaving though. In my memories, you're there one moment and then gone the next. Why did you leave?"

Sebastian looked at him and then took a seat on the bench. "You grew up, Ciel. I couldn't be your babysitter forever." His fingers laced together. "Your parents started needing me less and less with each grade. We all knew that eventually I would leave, it was just a matter of when. I couldn't very well follow you to college now could I?"

"I suppose not," Ciel muttered, feeling a little foolish.

A soft smile touched Sebastian's lips and he patted Ciel's knee to reassure him. "There were times though, that I forgot you would grow up as well." He admitted. "But then one morning I woke up and you no longer stood at my knees. You reached my chest and had grown from playing with Bitter Rabbit to playing video games. It all happened so fast that I could barely believe it. Then one day you decided that you didn't need me anymore.

"I came to pick you up as I always had and you refused to get into the car with me. I thought the school would call the police over the fuss you made when I had to drag you into the car. If they hadn't known me, they probably would've thought I was trying to abduct you," Sebastian continued with a light laugh. "As it was, you felt embarrassed to have a babysitter at your age and demanded that I stop picking you up. That I leave you alone."

Ciel winced and he could vaguely recall the memory that Sebastian mentioned. Angry words and tears flickered through his mind, and if he focused hard enough, he could see Sebastian sitting tensely in the front of the car; shoulders stiff and face emotionless. It wasn't a good memory and Ciel stared at the wood, tracing the patterns in the grain.

"I'm sorry," he said honestly. "I image that hurt you badly."

Sebastian didn't answer and Ciel wondered how easily he could recollect that day. "I expected it," he said finally. "That's not to say that it didn't sting, but I can't say that I didn't expect it either. You were at that age where your appearance meant everything to your peers. It wasn't cool to have a babysitter. And honestly, it probably worked out for the best."

Ciel looked up, blue eyes searching. "How so?"

"I was about to finish my schooling and subconsciously, we all knew that I couldn't stay a babysitter for the rest of my life. I had a bachelor's degree and was about to receive my masters in a few months," Sebastian said. "As much as I enjoyed taking care of you, I wanted to start my own career. I had several companies offering me positions and your father had even offered to put in a good word for me if I needed it. I swear he would've given me a position at the company if I had asked for it."

"Why didn't you?" Ciel asked curiously.

Sebastian shook his head. "I felt as though your father had done enough for me already. I made it through my entire college career without a single loan and lived in a mansion throughout that whole time. He even gave me advice when it came to picking a company to work for and made sure no one cheated me out of anything. It was more than I expected when I first took the job as your babysitter." He looked out at the trees. "And truthfully, I wanted to see what I could do own my own."

Ciel nodded in understanding. There were times when he wanted to do things on his own as well, without the weight of his name behind him. It felt like stretching his wings and taking to the skies. It gave a sense of relief and the feeling remained unparalleled to anything else he had done. Sebastian had the choice to take the easy way, but he decided to walk a harder path.

He had no doubt that Sebastian would benefit greatly from his choice and he wished him the best of luck in the future. Although, Sebastian seemed to do well enough for himself already and it warmed Ciel to know that he was successful.

"Your parents and I kept in touch," Sebastian continued. "They informed me about you and how you were doing. I sent a card when you graduated high school, but I'm afraid I couldn't attend that party. I was out of state for a meeting. But I promised to come to your college one no matter what. Even if you didn't remember me and our times together."

"The times we spent together, are they good memories for you?" Ciel asked.

Sebastian nodded. "They are. I can admit you acted indifferent when I said goodbye for the last time, but I didn't take offense. You were rebellious." He laughed lightly at the memory and shook his head in thought.

"I wish I remembered those times better." Ciel glanced up at Sebastian through his eyelashes. "I wish I remembered you better. You're faded in my memories. I know you're there and I can see you, but you look muted and torn around the edges. Like an old letter or picture. I'm sorry."

Sebastian shrugged and leaned back against the wood. "It happens. I don't remember most things from my early childhood. I imagine most people don't. I'm actually surprised you even remember me at all. That's better than nothing in my book."

Ciel frowned. "Still," he mused. He looked up as Sebastian stood up suddenly and crossed the gazebo. He took a seat next to him and a playful smile had settled on his lips. The look struck deep within Ciel and unexpectedly, a clear memory of Sebastian flashed to the forefront of his mind – ringing vividly and vibrantly before his eyes.

"How about I tell you then," Sebastian said and his eyes danced.

He cocked his head. "Tell me what?"

Sebastian smirked. "About the games we played."

Ciel stared briefly at Sebastian before laughter bubbled up in his throat. "Yeah," he said excitedly and leaned forward, anxious to hear the stories from his past. With any luck, they would fill in the blanks that had started to appear in his mind. "Tell me everything."

"We met when you were five years old. You had just chased away your latest babysitter and I was the next one to take up the challenge," Sebastian started and the trees shifted above them, their branches swaying to the song of the wind.

Further beyond them, the beams of light danced along the grass as they had always and always would. Their light might flicker, growing weak at times before strengthening on sunny days, but their presence would always remain. Just like the presence of a long and deep friendship. It might grow weak and hidden with time, but it would always remain, curled firmly around the heart.

* * *

><p><strong>Final AN<strong>: And that's it! Thank you everyone for your wonderful support throughout this entire story. I know the updates were slow and short, but thank you for sticking through until the very end. It means a lot to me and I appreciate all the comments I received from everyone. They never failed to brighten my day and put a smile on my face. Thank you again ^^


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